Ninja Priestess
by Kida Tenshi
Summary: This is the story of a girl who made her dreams come true after she became to possess the Seven Stars of Suzaku. And many powers were bestowed upon her. The story itself is a spell. The one who reads it through will be given the powers and granted a wish just like the girl in the story. Because the story begins and becomes real the moment the first page is turned.
1. Aika Hitsubasa

**Name:** Aika Hitsubasa  
 **Age:** 16 (I) 18 (II)  
 **Height:** 5' 5"  
 **Hair:** Black  
 **Eyes:** Brown  
 **Personality:** Kind, Caring, Protective, Wise, Sarcastic, Stubborn, Funny, Blunt, and Intelligent.


	2. The Girl of Legend

**Kida: Hi, peoples! I've seen how people have liked my Naruto fanfiction and was tempted to do a crossover with Naruto and Fushigi Yuugi!**

 **Naruto: Am I in here?!**

 **Kida: *Sweat-drops* Of course. You're Naruto.**

 **Naruto *Grins* Believe it!**

 **Tamahome: Is he always this hyper.**

 **Kida: *Nods* Yup. Now...can someone do the damn disclaimer?!**

 **Tamahome: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only own Aika Hitsubasa and possibly any other future OCs. Please enjoy!**

 **Kida: On to the story!**

This is the story of a girl who made her dreams come true after she became to possess the Seven Stars of Suzaku. And many powers were bestowed upon her. The story itself is a spell. The one who reads it through will be given the powers and granted a wish just like the girl in the story. Because the story begins and becomes real the moment the first page is turned.

Walking down the street was a young woman with long black hair that reached her hips, warm brown eyes, and pale skin that was flawless. She wore a short black and purple kimono with a purple sash. She also had thigh-high black leggings and black knee high boots. Her name is Aika Hitsubasa. She was a civilian in Konoha, even though she knew a few ninja techniques to keep herself safe as well as her friend Yui.

"Hey! Aika!" A loud voice called. Aika smiled when she heard that voice. It was one of her best friends, Naruto Uzumaki. He was older than her by four years. He was twenty and the war has been over for two years.

"Hello, Naruto. Don't you have Hokage training?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm taking a little break though," Naruto replied earning an amused head shake.

"Keep taking breaks and it'll be a while before you become Hokage," she stated earning a groan from her blonde friend.

"I know! I know! But I prefer combat training! Not office training!" Naruto pouted earning a laugh from his friend.

"I know. You prefer action," Aika chuckled.

"Hey, do you mind heading to the library with me? Kakashi needed me to pick something up," he said to me. Aika smiled at him.

"Sure, I was heading there anyways," she replied. "I was going to get a book on some herbal remedies."

"Oh yeah, for that shop of yours right?" Naruto asked.

"Yup. After all, ninjas need remedies if they don't have a medical nin with them," Aika pointed out. Aika had dreamed of opening her own shop where ninjas could get what they need and fast. She looked at his arm that had been lost in the war, when he fought against Sasuke. She had helped Sakura and Lady Tsunade with making the arm.

"Got a point. Anyways, have you seen Yui? You two are normally hanging out," he told her.

"Oh, she's a little busy with work. Oh yeah, how's Hinata doing?" Aika asked as they walked. Naruto grinned at her.

"She's doing great! She actually got a job at the Academy as a teacher," he replied making Aika smile more, happy for the woman. Hinata and Naruto have been married for a little less than a year now. "You know, it's almost hard to believe. All those years that I liked Sakura, Hinata had liked me. Maybe if I hadn't been so oblivious, I would have started dating back when we were Genin," he mused. Aika smiled softly and placed a hand on his arm.

"Hey, better late than never. All she cares about is you and that she finally gets to be with you," she said to him. Naruto smiled at her and wrapped his real arm around her shoulders.

"Thanks, Aika. I'm glad I have you for a friend," he said to her. The two had always been close, since Aika was a child. They were like brother and sister to each other.

"No problem. You know you can always come to me when you need me," Aika replied with a smile. "Anyways…you do know that there is a possibility that the book you're picking up is going to be a porn book, right?" She asked. Naruto sweat-dropped and groaned as he looked down.

"I have no doubt that it is."

"You should hit Lord Kakashi over the head for wanting to read that junk…"

"Hey! It's not junk!" Naruto exclaimed trying to defend his old friend Jiraiya. Aika gave a sad smile.

"Naruto, what he wrote is junk to a non-pervert's eyes. But the writer was a nice man," she stated. Naruto smiled a bit and nodded.

"Okay, I agree with you on that one," he chuckled. The two soon made it to the library and walked in. "Want me to wait for you after I pick up the book Kakashi wants?"

"Sure, I shouldn't be long anyway," Aika smiled before going off to grab her book. She made it to the book aisle of remedy books. She grabbed one and accidentally made another fall. "Oh, oops," she murmured before bending down to pick it up. She grabbed it and suddenly heard flapping. She looked behind her and her eyes widened when she saw a beautiful red bird. She then saw a trail of red lights leading her somewhere.

Naruto was waiting by the entrance, leaning against the wall. He looked at the clock on the wall across from him and frowned.

"She's been gone for ten minutes. It can't be that hard to find the book she needs," he muttered. _'The girl knows this library like the back of her hand,'_ he thought. What he didn't know was that Aika had followed the trail up some stairs to a reference room. She looked around the dark room.

"Hello?" She asked. "Is anybody here?" No response. She sighed a little and looked around. _'The bird led me here so where is it? And why lead me here?'_ She thought. She got an idea that it might be a trap and got a little defensive.

"Aika, what are you doing here?" Naruto's voice rang. She turned with a small jump. She sighed in relief as she placed a hand on her racing heart.

"Naruto! You scared me!" Aika told him.

"Sorry," Naruto sheepishly smiled. "Now, are you gonna answer my question?"

"Well…you see, when I dropped a book, I bent down and suddenly heard flapping. I turned to see the most magnificent red bird behind me. It lead me up here for some reason," Aika shrugged. Naruto looked at her skeptically.

"A red bird? In the library? Aika, the only thing we get close to a bird is a hawk and those are messengers for ninjas. There are no red birds," Naruto said to her. Aika groaned.

"Naruto, when have I ever lied to you? Also, after everything you've seen, you don't think this could be real?" She pointed out.

"Oh…yeah, you got a point," Naruto said rubbing the back of his neck. Suddenly a book dropped making them both get defensive, Naruto with a kunai. "Who's there?!" He called.

"Can you sense them?" Aika asked. Naruto shook his head.

"No, no one," he replied before putting his kunai away. He walked over to the book with Aika and picked it up. " _The Book of the Universe of the Four Gods,_ " he read the title out loud.

"Huh? How do you know what that says?" Aika asked.

"Kakashi said it might be good to learn some different languages in case of anything. He taught me this one," Naruto replied. Aika took the book and looked it over.

"It looks pretty old, ancient," she mused before opening it. She held the book as Naruto read over her shoulder.

"There by the Girl of Legend opened the door which led to another world," he read next.

"Remind me to thank Lord Kakashi for teaching you this language. These symbols are so beautiful," Aika said tracing a couple of them. There were some she recognized, but she mostly learned animals, objects, and things like that. She turned the page and gasped a bit. "There it is! This is what I saw," she said to Naruto as she pointed to the bird. Naruto was surprised and went back to reading.

"This is the story of a girl who made her dreams come true after she became to possess the Seven Stars of Suzaku. And many powers were bestowed upon her. The story itself is a spell. The one who reads it through will be given the powers and granted a wish just like the girl in the story. Because the story begins and becomes real the moment the first page is turned," he read next. He blinked a bit and looked at Aika who looked at him. "What does that mean?"

"Don't ask me. How the hell should I know?" She asked. Suddenly the book started glowing red.

"Aika! Drop the book!" He shouted. But it was too late, she had already disappeared. "Aika!" He called. No response. "Don't tell me she…She went into the damn book?!" He freaked. He picked the book up then and began reading it to see if his friend was really in there.

~0~

Aika screamed as she was sucked in. Suddenly she woke up in a desert and sat up. She looked around and frowned when she saw it.

"Am I maybe-hopefully-in the Sand Village?" she asked as she stood up. She looked around again. "Gaara! Kankuro! Temari! Can anyone hear me?" She called out to nowhere. "Okay, maybe they won't hear me, but the one with great ears can. Shukaku!" She called for the One Tailed beast. She frowned more when there was no reply. "Anybody! Just…just help me…" she whispered with frustration.

She began walking around a little to see if there was a town close by. So far, nothing she could see and that made her groan.

"Naruto!" She tried calling for her friend. She ran a hand through her dark hair. "I have to be dreaming. That's all it is, a dream. A scary dream. I'll wake up in the library with Naruto and I'll go home," she said. She then pinched herself. "Ouch!" She yelped. "Nope, dammit, I'm awake," she muttered. She then glared ahead. "Sasuke! If you've put me in some kind of Genjutsu, I'm gonna kill you!" She shouted. She gulped a bit. "N-no Genjutsu, not a dream, I'm not in the Sand Village…Don't tell me I really came here through that book!" She exclaimed. She began pacing until suddenly she was grabbed.

"This woman is something. We can sell her at top price," A man said making Aika glare.

"What are you, a bunch of idiots or something?!" She growled.

"Are you stupid?! We are human slave traders!" The other man said to her. She sweat-dropped.

"Dude, ever hear of sarcasm?" She asked.

"Well, today is our lucky day," the one holding her smirked.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Aika said before elbowing him in the gut. The guy let go and she did a side kick making him fall back.

"You little bitch!" The other man growled before going to attack her. She flipped back when he swiped his sword.

"Man, it's times like this I wish I carried a few kunai and shuriken," Aika said to herself as she dodged the sword. Suddenly she was grabbed by the one who had grabbed her before. She struggled to get out of his grasp. It's times like this she went to Academy as well. She saw the sword and knew she was going to be killed. She squeezed her eyes shut until she heard a yelped and opened her eyes. There was a young man with dark blue hair and lavender eyes. He had caught the guy's wrist with one hand and brought it behind the man's back. The young man wore a navy blue tunic robe that had a yellow collar and yellow sleeve trimmings. Under were brown pants and black flats. The young man's name was Tamahome.

"Stop it now," Tamahome said to the man who had gone to strike the girl. The bandit that had been holding Aika let her go, making her fall to her knees, before going to attack the blue haired man. Aika watched the handsome young man fight skillfully with ease. His way of fighting had her mesmerized. She then saw a symbol on his forehead that read 'ogre'.

 _'_ _Who is he?'_ Aika thought as she kept watching him. Soon Tamahome took the two bandits down.

"My arm. My arm!" The bandit said holding his injured arm.

"Let's get out of here!" The second bandit said.

"I'm right behind you!" The first agreed as they ran. Tamahome smiled at the brown eyed girl.

"Hello there. Are you alright?" He asked her. Aika smiled at him with a light blue.

"Yeah. Thank you for helping me out," she replied. Tamahome knelt down in front of her.

"Well, I prefer money to any thank you's," he said to her.

"Huh?!" The girl exclaimed. "I don't have any money!" She snapped a bit with a glare.

"Oh man. Don't tell me I rescued a loser," Tamahome sighed. "Come now. The money makes the world go round," he said standing up. "Pft, won't even pay me for my help. How rude!" He said starting to walk away. Aika growled and stood up.

"Hey! I didn't ask for your help! You just showed up on your own accord, jerk!" She shouted.

"Good luck on your own, penny pincher!" Tamahome said waving as he walked.

"No! Wait! I'm lost! Tell me where I am!" Aika demanded running after him. He just kept walking and she stopped with a frustrated sigh. "Sweet Sage of the Six Paths, can't you help me out just this once?!" She exclaimed. She then rubbed her forehead. "Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata…guys, I need you," she whispered upset. She looked at the direction the guy had been walking and let out a groan. "I might as well follow him. He might be the only way I can get home!" She said before she started walking.

~0~

"The girl tried with all her might to rescue herself from slave traders, but she was overpowered and all seemed lost. When a boy with the symbol of the ogre on his forehead appeared and helped her out," Naruto read out loud. He frowned as he thought about slave traders getting Aika. His hands clenched into fists. He was glad that boy saved Aika from that if she was really the girl in this book. He looked back at the book and went back to reading. "And so the girl left for the city in the back of a wagon to look for the boy."

~0~

Aika side as she rode in the back of a wagon she snuck onto. She suddenly saw people staring at her which made her uncomfortable.

"Stop staring, weirdos," she mumbled as she tried her hide her face with her hair. She thought about the blue haired boy. _'_ _Well, he was definitely handsome and it was nice of him to save me…but did he have to ask me for money?! Jeez, greedy much?! Then when I ask him to tell me where I am, he tells me nothing!'_ She thought angered. She suddenly saw the view of a village making her gasp. "How beautiful, like a painting! It's as beautiful as the Leaf Village! It's extraordinary!" She smiled as she looked around.

"With a city full of people, I'm sure we can find him here!" She said until she caught sight of the young man from before. "Oh, that's him! Gotchya!" Aika smirked. "Thanks again for the ride!" She smiled at the driver before jumping off. The driver looked at her surprised.

"Huh? Who is she?" He asked watching her walk down some steps. Too bad she didn't bring a camera to have proof for when she told her friends about this.

"Man, Jiraiya would be having his own paradise session if he could write about this place," Aika mused. "Sorry! Let me through please! Pardon me!" Aika said as she tried to push through the crowd. She then gasped when saw elephants and a few men doing a circus act. "Amazing! If only Naruto were here, he would be loving this!" She then remembered the blue haired boy. "Dammit! I lost him. Where'd he go?!" She panicked a little. Her stomach grumbled making her blush a bit as she covered her stomach. "Man, I didn't eat any dinner…or lunch," she sighed a bit.

"Miss, do you need help?" A merchant asked the girl while he stood behind his food cart. Aika smiled a bit at him.

"Maybe you can help me. Have you seen a good looking guy with an ogre symbol on his forehead?" She asked him as she handed him a little money.

"Ogre symbol? No. But you can call me good looking if you want to," the man chuckled as he looked at the money. Aika took a bun and nibbled on it with a nervous smile. She started to leave then. "Hey, you thief! This isn't money!" He said to her. Aika frowned.

"Where I'm from it is money. And I'm afraid that's all I have," she said to him. The man blinked and looked at the money.

"Well…I guess it can be worth something," he mused looking at the gold coin. "Real gold?"

"Just as real as you and I are," Aika smiled at him.

"Alright, thank you for stopping by!" The merchant smiled back. Aika waved and ran off with the bun, eating it as she tried to look for the blue haired boy. "Uh, excuse me please. Do you know a guy with an ogre symbol on his forehead?" Aika asked a villager. "An ogre symbol on his forehead? Doesn't anybody know?" She said defeated. She jumped up a little and sat on some crates. The black haired girl sighed. "I'm exhausted." She then jumped when she felt someone touch her shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss," a male voice said making the girl look over. There was a man with green hair and light eyes. "I couldn't help watching you. And since I'm on my own here too, I was wondering if I could show you around the Konan Empire," the man smiled.

"Konan Empire?" Aika asked.

"Yeah," the man replied.

"So that's what this place is called-the Konan Empire," Aika mused. She then remembered. _'_ _Hey! The girl of the Akatsuki was named Konan! What's next? An Empire called Pein? Or…what did Naruto say his name was? Oh yeah, Yahiko! Oh well, Konan Empire does have a ring to it.'_

"Hello?" The man asked her.

"Oh sorry, I'm actually looking for someone," she said with a small smile.

"Oh, I see," The man smirked a bit before turning to walk away. Aika grabbed him by the collar surprising him.  
"Wait a minute," she told him.

"You mean the guy with the ogre symbol," the man said to her.

"Ah, do you really know him?" She smiled though a part of her was cautious. She didn't trust everyone here yet.

"The guy's a friend of mine as a matter of fact."

"Really?" Aika smiled more.

"Do you wanna meet him?" The man asked.

"Oh, yes I do," Aika nodded.

~0~

In a small restaurant, two people were talking.

"Have you heard?" A man smirked.

"Heard what?" The other man asked.

"They say a young girl in strange clothing has been hanging around town and no one knows what to make of it."

"Oh yeah, I heard about her. She's the one looking for some guy with a symbol on his forehead, right?" the other man asked. What they didn't know was the young man with the symbol on his forehead was listening to them.

"They say the paid for some food with foreign currency and then ran away."

"A young foreign girl here all alone. Where did she come from?" The other man asked. Tamahome had been curious about that as well. He got up and went over to them.

"Excuse me, but can I ask you something?" He asked them.

"Yeah? What?"

"Was the girl you were talking about have black hair and brown eyes?" He asking.

"Well, I don't know all the details. But I heard it was just the girl taking some food."

"Just the girl taking some food, huh? I guess she's not the girl I met earlier," Tamahome mused to himself. She didn't look like the type to steal food.

~0~

"Excuse me. How much longer before I meet your friend?" Aika asked as they walked. The man suddenly stopped and Aika kept his eyes on him.

"We're here," the man smirked over his shoulder.

"Well, well, well, look what he brought us this time! Something a little different too!" A man said. Aika glared at the first man. Three men walked over.

"Different, Isn't she? Her clothes alone will bring a good price."

"Is it true that women travel alone are looking for excitement?" Another man smirked.

"You tricked me!" Aika glared at the one who led the two there. A man lifted up her skirt.

"It's your own fault. You shouldn't have followed him."

"Back off, scum bag!" Aika shouted before kicking him away. She then backed away from then, her back hitting a wall.

"I think she likes me," the man who was kick smirked as he got up. Aika looked at them.

 _'_ _This is bad. I only know the fighting basics! I knew I should have gone to the Academy or at least had some training!'_ She though. She then remembered. This place is different from the Leaf Village which made her smirk. _'_ _They shouldn't know the kind of fighting style we have! This will be interesting!'_ She thought before tightening the bow of the sash around her waist. "Messing with me will be your biggest mistake yet!" She said to them. She ran forward and ducked when one went to grab her. "An easy swipe," she said swiping her leg making the man fall. She flipped up and did a split kick on the other two making them fall down. She landed with a smirk and flipped her hair over her shoulder. They kept coming after her and she easily dodged and blocked. She grabbed one of the guys' wrists, twisted it, and threw him over her shoulder to the ground.

"Who is she?!" The man who led her here shouted.

"I've never seen martial arts like this!" The other said. Aika smirked.

"Basic Taijutsu! Hand to hand combat!" She said before doing a back flip, kicking her foot up to kick one guy in the jaw easily. She looked at the other guy who seemed scared. She then did a simple tornado kick on him and he was down. "Looks like I'll have to thank Lee for the little training session he gave me," Aika smiled as she clapped the dust off her hands. "I'm not half bad. If I tried hard enough, maybe I can be a Leaf Ninja," she said liking the sound of that. Suddenly her ankle was grabbed and she was pulled down to the ground.

"You're gonna get it now," the man who led them here growled. He pinned her to the ground by her wrists and she started to panic.

"No! Help me!" She screamed as she tried to get away from the guy. She could feel the guy using one hand to remove her sash. "No! No! HELP!" She screamed with fear. Suddenly the main guy was hit in the head with a stone.

"Ow!" He said before turning to see a man standing on a roof. "Hey! Who's there?!" Tamahome was standing up there, tossing a pebble in his hand as he glared.

"You need four men to handle two girls? Come on," Tamahome said with anger in his tone as his hair moved from the wind, revealing his symbol. "Let's make the odds more even."

~0~

"When the girl was in imminent danger, the boy with the ogre symbol on his forehead appeared on the scene and defeated all the villains," Naruto read. He was hoping the boy would kill those guys for touching his best friend. He didn't like it when Aika was scared like that.

~0~

Tamahome attacked the guys that weren't pinning the girl first. Once the guy was kicked off her, she ran over to the wall and sat there, shaking. She was glad that was over. She thought that they would…she was just glad they didn't get to. Once finished, Tamahome walked over to her, standing a cross from her.

 **Tamahome: Aika is actually kinda cute.**

 **Kida: *Grins* I was hoping I would choose girl for ya!**

 **Miaka: Where am I?!**

 **Kida: *Glares* You're annoying! Beat it! *Kicks Miaka out of house, to the sky* And don't come back!**

 **Naruto: *Pales* Remind me not to make you mad.**

 **Kida: *Smirks* Don't make me mad. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the story, loves! Please favorite and comment!**


	3. Priestess of Suzaku

**Naruto: *Reads over second chapter* You really follow the animes or mangas?**

 **Kida: *Nods* Yes, and it can be a total pain in the ass.**

 **Tamahome: *Mutters* Explains why you were crabby yesterday when you wrote this.**

 **Kida: *Glares* What was that?**

 **Tamahome: *Laughs nervously* N-nothing, Kida.**

 **Kida: *Rolls eyes* Baby. Now, Emperor Hotohori!**

 **Hotohori: Yes, Kida?**

 **Kida: *Smiles* It's your turn to do the disclaimer.**

 **Hotohori: With pleasure. Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi, only her OC Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. Please enjoy!**

 **Kida: *Grins* You heard the hot Emperor! Read on, loves!**

One day, Aika Hitsubasa, an average Leaf Village civilian, agreed to go to the library with her friend Naruto. There she saw a fantastic vision, a bird of burning red. She followed its trail to a rarely used reference room and found a book of Ancient China- _The Book of the Universe of the Four Gods_. Naruto joined her and as soon as they started reading the book, she found herself in a strange and foreign world. Perhaps she was led there by the book's magical power. It's hard to say. There she met a young man with an ogre symbol on his forehead who helped her out of a tough situation and then disappeared. So the Lady Aika left for the city of Konan Empire to look for the young man. The same young man who was there to help her once again.

Aika looked at Tamahome who stood across from her as she sat down next to the wall.

"I thought it was you," he said to them. "What are you doing? It's not safe here," he said as tears gathered in Aika's eyes. She got up and ran into his chest, sobbing softly and needing comfort from the scary situation she had been in. Tamahome was taken back by it.

"I was scared," Aika sobbed a bit. Tamahome felt sympathy for the girl and closed his eyes.

"You're safe now. I got rid of them. You don't have to worry about that gang anymore," he assured her. "Oh yeah, I heard you were looking for me," he said to them as Aika soon pulled away, wiping her tears.

"That's right, I am. I just thought you might help me get back home," Aika said to him.

"Huh? Well, where are you from?" Tamahome asked her. Aika looked down, a little hesitant to say. Tamahome sighed a bit and placed a hand on her head. "Hey, you can trust me." Aika looked at him for a moment and nodded.

"Sorry, I'm normally very cautious….I'm not from this world. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true! I was at the library with my friend and suddenly I saw a big red bird that led me to a reference and suddenly I'm here in a book! Please believe me!" Aika pleaded. Tamahome was surprised to hear her say that. There had been a part of him that thought she was either crazy or playing a joke, but he saw the sincerity in her brown eyes. He also realized she said 'red bird'.

 _'Could the red bird she's talking about be Suzaku? No way, that can't be. Those are just stories, aren't? Besides, I don't even know if she's really the Priestess! But she's not making any of this up. It's clear as day in her eyes,'_ he thought as he looked at her. "Alright, I believe you. I'm Sou Kishuku, but people call me Tamahome," he said to her. Aika smiled a bit.

"Tamahome? My name is Aika Hitsubasa. It's nice to meet you," she said to him. Tamahome smiled at her name.

"'Love Song', huh? You must be a singer if you're named that," he said to her. Aika blushed a bit and shook her head.

"N-no, I'm not! I-I mean, I've only hummed. I don't really sing so…" she trailed off embarrassed. Tamahome chuckled at her and patted her head.

"Only kidding. So, if you were brought here, what about your friend?" He asked her. Aika frowned a bit as she thought about Naruto.

"I-I don't know. He was reading with me and suddenly the book glowed red and I was brought here. I don't know if he's still back at the library or if he was brought here. He could be somewhere else…I just hope he's okay," Aika said to him.

"He?" Tamahome raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Naruto's one of my best friends. Well, more like a big brother really," Aika said with a soft smile as she remembered brother figure. Tamahome smiled a bit at that.

"The fact that you consider him a big brother makes me curious as to what he's like," he said to her.

"Oh! He's a big goof and loves ramen. But he is always protective of his friends and will do anything to save and protect them. To me, he's a boy with a heart of gold. There's always room in his heart for more people," she smiled at him. Tamahome smiled more as he listened. That Naruto guy sounded interesting. He offered Aika his arm and she smiled as she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. She then began walking with him.

"What about home? What's that like?" Tamahome asked as they walked.

"Oh! It's called the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It's beautiful there, always nice weather. The people are nice too," she replied.

"Why is it called that?" Tamahome asked confused on why it's called Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Oh, well, the Hidden Leaf Village has a Genjutsu-an illusion-around it to hide it from enemies. You see, back home, it's a ninja village. Almost everyone there is a ninja. The leader of the village is called the Hokage. Anyways, the village is still getting fixed up seeing as a war happened two years ago now," she mused.

"A war? What war?" Tamahome asked surprised.

"It's known as the Fourth Great Ninja War. My friend Naruto fought in it with his teammates and we one. I was too young and only a civilian so I couldn't fight. I had to go into hiding with some of the other civilians," she said to him. Tamahome placed a hand on hers and smiled a bit.

"Good, even though you can fight from what I saw, you don't need to be put in that kind of danger," he said to her. Aika blushed a bit and scratched her cheek a little.

"W-well, I helped a little bit with the war. Contributing weapons, healing remedies, and other things to help the ninjas. So, I guess I was still a part of the war, just in a different aspect," she said.

"Then yeah, you were still a part of the war, but you helped in giving weapons and other things they would need. You didn't fight in it," he said to her.

"Well…." Aika trailed off as she remembered the white Zetsus. Some had gotten to the village and she helped defend some of them off with the Genin. Before she could finish, there was suddenly some soldiers riding on horses as they escorted a palanquin down the path. "Wow, what's the parade for?" She asked

"It's for the Emperor," Tamahome replied as he watched the soldiers and the Emperor in the Palanquin.

"The Emperor?" Aika asked. She's never heard of that considering they didn't really have Emperors in her world. They had Kages and Kings of Nations.

"Uh huh. You see the one riding on that fancy palanquin is none other than the Emperor of Konan," Tamahome pointed to the palanquin.

"It's so beautiful," Aika whispered.

"Oh man, I wish I could have that Imperial crown or even just one of the jeweled ornaments on him would be alright with me," Tamahome said with a small smile, thinking of the money he could get from it. Aika smiled.

"Is he nice?" She asked him with curiosity.

"Well, I've never heard anything bad about him," Tamahome answered. Aika smiled more. So, the Emperor was a kind ruler compared to most. She's known many great rulers, or at least read about them or heard stories. It was all so interesting to her to learn about. Aika has always found these kinds of things interesting. Learning about rulers, new cultures, and many other things. She had been offered a position to teach at the Academy and was pretty tempted.

"Let me go!" She heard. She looked over to see some men grabbing a woman and trying to take her away down an alley. Aika frown and ran over. She jumped and flipped over the palanquin which surprised Tamahome.

"Aika! Come back!" Tamahome called to her. But she didn't.

"Hey! Let her go!" Aika shouted. The two men laughed.

"And what are you gonna do about it, girlie?" One of the men asked smirking.

"Kick your sorry asses," Aika growled. She did a high kick and knocked one guy out before punching the other. "Get out of here before I rip you limb from limb, you disgusting pigs!" She glared harshly at them. The men were shocked at her speed and strength. They nodded in fear before running away. She looked at the woman. "Are you alright, ma'am?" She asked her, She was suddenly hugged by the woman.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," the woman said to her. Aika smiled and hugged her back a little.

"It's no problem, really," she replied. Suddenly a man was calling for the woman. Her husband. She pulled back with a smile and thanked Aika before running off. Aika smiled at that and went to make her way back to Tamahome until some guards grabbed her.

"You are to be punished for your assault on the Emperor! I'll cut you apart!" one of them said to her. Aika glared.

"You idiot! I jumped over the palanquin to save the girl! Are you so stupid or blind as to not see, you dumbasses?!" She asked kicking her foot up and getting him in the face considering how flexible she was. If there was one thing she hated, it was being accused of something she didn't do. From her outburst, every one of the guards was surprised. Not only at the outburst but also her fighting skill. Suddenly there was three smoke bombs going off. Aika was grabbed and in Tamahome's arms as he jumped away.

"Are you completely nuts?! Do you wanna get yourself and your friend killed or something?!" Tamahome shouted at her.

"Sorry, but that woman needed help! I wasn't about to sit there like nothing was happening!" She glared. Tamahome looked slightly hurt by the glare, but he understood. But the hurt in his lavender eyes made Aika's expression soften. "I'm sorry." He smiled a bit.

"It's alright. I like your guts so I'll help you look for a way home," he said to her.

"Do you mean it?" Aika asked slightly surprised.

"Yeah," Tamahome smiled at her.

"How can I ever repay you?" Aika asked with a smile, glad he would help.

"Don't worry about it. I know how," Tamahome smiled a bit more before softly kissing her forehead which made Aika blush.

"Here they are!" A solider shouted.

"Prepare yourselves for death! Attack now!" Another shouted before going to attack. Aika then suddenly started glowing red.

"W-what's happening to me?!" Aika asked scared as she saw her hand disappear.

"Try to-!" Tamahome tried to say as he was almost blinded by the light.

"Turn the Emperor's palanquin!" A soldier ordered.

"At once!" Another agreed as they did so.

"Wait!" The Emperor said. "What's this all about?" He asked them.

"A reddish light suddenly engulfed the criminals, your Highness," a soldier replied.

"A reddish light?" The Emperor asked surprised.

"Look at that! The female in the man's arms is disappearing!" A soldier shouted.

"Tamahome!" Aika called as she disappeared.

"Aika!"

"What's happening now?" Aika asked scared as she saw red lights everywhere.

" _There girl was wrapped in a radiant red light and she-."_

 _'It's Naruto!'_ Aika thought as she saw her friend reading the book. _"_ Oh it's you! Naruto, I'm here in the library now! Great! I'm so glad to see you! Look at me, Naruto! I'm here! Naruto! Naruto!" Aika shouted until the red bird reappeared and she was suddenly covered with red lights again. A sparkling red feather landed on her head. She was suddenly back in Tamahome's arms. The soldiers and such were shocked.

"Guard," the Emperor said.

"Sir?"

"Arrest that girl now. And the young man, quickly," the Emperor ordered.

"Aika, what was-?" Tamahome was going to ask until the spears were at their necks. Aika was grabbed. Aika was thrown in first and was knocked out as Tamahome was thrown in.

~0~

"By the order of the Emperor the girl was arrested and put in jail with the young man," Naruto read.

~0~

 _"_ _Naruto! Naru!" Aika called as she ran through the grass. She found Naruto at the training fields, sparing against a dummy. "Man, I'm so glad to see you again!" Naruto looked at her._

 _"_ _So, ready to learn the ways of the ninja?" Naruto asked acting like nothing ever happened. Aika looked at him slightly confused. Suddenly her father took his place._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Aika. You can't," he said to her._

 _"_ _Papa, I-!"_

 _"_ _No, it's impossible now," her father said before disappearing._

 _"_ _Papa, wait! Don't go!" Aika shouted as she tried to reach for her father. She was suddenly falling._ She woke up to see she was hugging Tamahome.

"Are you alright?" Tamahome asked frowning. Aika suddenly blushed at how close they were and backed up.

"S-sorry! I-I didn't mean to do that. Please forgive me!" Aika said to him with embarrassment.

"It's okay, Aika. Really," Tamahome said to her.

"Oh no…were we really captured and brought here by the soldiers of Konan Empire?" Aika asked frowning. Tamahome nodded.

"Anyway, tell me now who you really are and what's with that weird red light you were given off, huh?" Tamahome asked the girl. The two stayed silent. "Fine, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"My friend…" Aika whispered making Tamahome hum in question. "Naruto's in his own world," she said with relief.

"Oh, so he wasn't brought here?" Tamahome asked making Aika nod.

"And I couldn't make it back there," Aika said looking down. Tamahome's eyes softened.

"Don't cry now, Aika. You don't have to worry. I'll find a way to get you out of here," he said with a small smile.

"Oh, do you mean it?" Aika asked looking at him.

"Well, you gave me that promise of a reward, so…" Tamahome smiled as he gently poked her forehead.

"Dummy…" Aika mumbled as she looked down, blushing with embarrassment.

~0~

"Sire, we should execute that girl and the fellow with her right away," one man said.

"I heard the girl gave off a strange light and almost vanished," the other said.

"She might be a witch or worse!"

"We're waiting for you judgement, Sire. And your command."

"Calm down please. The clothing the girl wears is foreign. Are you not curious about her origins? Or her purpose here?" The Emperor asked.

"But, Sire-!"

"Please listen, it may or it may not be so. But I believe the girl may be the Priestess of Suzaku," the Emperor told them.

"What?!"

"Are you saying, Sire, that she is the Girl of Legend?"

"Yes," the Emperor answered.

~0~

Aika sighed to herself as she tried to think of a way to get her and Tamahome out of there. _'_ _Well, I could use the Shadow Clone jutsu, but that will make it too crowded in here,'_ she thought. She then smirked. _'_ _But there's still one basic jutsu that Sakura taught me that tends to come in handy…'_ "Tamahome, listen to me for a second," she whispered to Tamahome. He looked at her.

"What is it?"

"I have a plan," Aika smirked. "I'm going to transform into something. You just act like I'm going to eat you, the guard will get scared, we'll get the keys, then we're free," she said to him. Tamahome was a little skeptical, but nodded.

"Alright, I'm trusting you with this. Good luck," he said to her. Aika smiled a bit and nodded. She then did a hand seal.

"Transform!" She called. A puff of smoke appeared around her and suddenly there was a white tiger in her spot. She winked at the surprised Tamahome who then smirked. He ran to the cage door looking scared and panicked.

"Help! Please! I-it's gonna eat me!" He shouted in fear. The guard ran over and suddenly saw the hissing white tiger. The guard stood there in fear. Tamahome smirked and punched him, knocking him out. "Got it!" He grinned. He then laughed a bit. "We're out of here now. Hey, alright! You did good, kid!" He smiled at his friend. Aika changed back.

"Really? Do you think so?" She asked smiling.

"Yeah, it was pretty amazing how you did that. I take it it's something ninjas in your world can do?" He asked as he unlocked the door.

"Yup. That's just a basic technique for beginners though," Aika said as they walked out. The two then started sneaking around, being quiet as they went to look for a way out. After a bit, they hid behind one of the wall pillars. Aika suddenly heard footsteps. "Someone's coming," she warned. Tamahome looked for a door quickly and found one.

"Aika, over there," he said taking her hand and running over with her. Once in, Aika looked through the crack of the door.

"Well, it looks like we lost them. For now at least," she mused. What she didn't was that Tamahome was looking at something.

"Aika."

"What is it?" Aika asked.

"Look at that," Tamahome said making Aika turned and gasp at what she saw.

"That's the one! The bird from the book!" She said surprised.

"It's Suzaku," Tamahome said making Aika look at him.

"Suzaku?"

"One of the four gods that guard the cardinal points," Tamahome replied as he walked up to it. "The Guardian God of the East is called Seiryuu. The Guardian God of the North is called Genbu. The Guardian of the West is Byakko. And the Guardian God of the South is called Suzaku. The Konan Empire has Suzaku as its Guardian God, so the other three Gods protect and serve Empires in each of the other directions." Aika suddenly smelled something delicious. Her favorite, pork on rice. See as she hasn't eaten in a whole day, her nose took control and led her away to the kitchen. "Anyway, the first thing we have to do is get you out of here like I said I would," Tamahome smiled as he turned to see Aika. "Aika? Hey, where'd you go?" He asked looking around.

~0~

Aika made it to the kitchen and made sure not to disturb the cooks as she snuck up to the food. She saw the food there and was surprised. She smiled and began eating what she could quickly before leaving the area. She stretched a bit.

"Amazing. That was perhaps the best thing I've ever eaten. Though I better not let Naruto or Mr. Teuchi hear me say that….They'll be stuffing me with ramen until I'm not but ramen myself!" She exclaimed. She suddenly blinked and looked around. "Oh no! The bird! And Tamahome! I left them behind! Dammit! Which way?! I can't remember which way I came from! This is so not good! Dammit all! Great Sage of the Six Paths, can't you grant me mercy one time?!" She shouted to the sky. There was suddenly a beautiful laugh that made her stop and turned to the source of the sound. She then saw a man dressed in robes with long brown hair and ember eyes. She was surprised such a guy could be so beautiful. The man pointed to the right.

"Are you alright? It appears as you could be lost. There is a gate in that direction. You could find your way out through there," he smiled at her. Aika blushed a bit.

"T-Thank you," Aika stuttered before she started to leave, acting like everything was normal.

"Tell me, are you the one they arrested earlier?" He asked making her freeze. "It seems I guessed right. They say you tried to tackle the Emperor's palanquin." Aika let out a nervous laugh. She had a closed eye smile and rubbing the back of her head like Kakashi would when he was nervous or something.

"W-what? No, I-I don't know what you're talking about. I was just out for a stroll and passing by. Uh…see you later!" She said before going to leave.

"Don't worry. I'm on your side," the man said making her stop. "I'm not going to summon the guards. Believe me. You have my word of honor." Aika looked at him with her warm brown eyes.

"You promise me?" She asked, a slight blush coming back. The man smiled and nodded.

~0~

Tamahome ran up some stairs and stopped to look in both directions as he tried to look for Aika.

"What an idiot!" He said thinking about Aika. "Where'd the hell did she go?!" He asked before running to the left. He suddenly saw the guards. "Oh no!" He shouted before running the other way.

"Hold it right there!"

"A spy! Get him!" Tamahome kept running to get away from the guards.

~0~  
The man looked at Aika as he got up.

"You want to find your friend?" He asked them.

"You see, it's my fault he's involved in all this. Even if I found away, I wouldn't be able to go back to my own world until I know he's free," Aika said.

"Your own world?" The man asked her. Aika nodded. "You mean that you do not live in this realm, that you are from some other world entirely?" He asked.

"Yeah, that's right," Aika replied. _'_ _Damn. No one's ever going to believe me. In fact, they'll suspect me more. Maybe lock me up again,'_ she thought. She almost anime fell at the excited expression the man gave.

"Fascinating," the man said to her. The man smiled. "Oh, it's great! So you're from another world, huh? I want you to tell me everything about it," he said to her. He saw a bit of worry on Aika's face. He gently cupped it with his hands. "Do not worry, please. My name is Hotohori though I'm not always called that." Aika blush a bit.

"My name's Aika Hitsubasa, but just Aika," she said to him.

"I'm glad that it's someone like you," Hotohori said making her blush more. "Is something wrong?" Aika smiled shyly.

"No, no, nothing. I just couldn't help in thinking just how beautiful you are."

"People always say so," Hotohori stated. Before he could continue, he heard footsteps.

"Keep moving, buddy!" He heard one of the soldiers say. The three looked over and saw the guards. Hotohori looked at Aika.

"Hurry, hide!" He said gently pushing them where to hide. One of the guards grabbed Tamahome by his hair.

"We want the witch! Where are they?! Where's the girl hiding?! Now start talking!" The soldier shouted. Tamahome groaned.

"Who knows?" He asked before the soldier grabbed him by the throat.

"Who you tryin' to fool, ya jerk?!"

"I mean it! I really don't know!" Tamahome stated. "Maybe she escaped while you stupid lugs were too busy chasing after me!" Aika growled a bit and ran out.

"Aika, stop!" Hotohori called.

"You!" The man growled.

"Stop!" Aika shouted.

"Aika!" Tamahome said with wide eyes.

"No! Don't hurt him! Please!" Aika shouted.

"Idiot, stay away!" Tamahome shouted at her. "No, wait, what are you doing here, Aika?! They'll capture you again!"

"I can't! I can't just leave you here alone!" Aika shouted until she was grabbed by a soldier.

"Aika!" Tamahome shouted.

"Tamahome!" Aika shouted as she struggled and tried to fight. The symbol on Tamahome's forehead started glowing red. Hotohori saw it and were surprised. Tamahome broke free of the ropes and attacked the guards. He then ran up to the one that was holding Aika and punched him before standing in front of the raven haired girl.

"Listen to me! If you even touch her, I'll kick your ass! All of you at once, I swear!" Tamahome growled surprising Aika.

"Stop! I command you! Leave them be!" Hotohori shouted at his guards. Everyone looked at him. "No one is to touch them without my permission, do you understand me?" He asked the guards.

"Hotohori?" Aika asked while everyone was surprised just as she was.

"W-who the hell are you?" Tamahome asked him.

"I-it's the Emperor!" The guard said before all guards bowed.

"Sire!" They all said.

"Y-you're a real Emperor?" Tamahome asked nervous. Hotohori smiled and nodded. Tamahome bowed. "Sire." Aika stayed standing, but bended her waist like she would for the Hokage.

"Milord," she said with respect. "I-I'm sorry if I was rude in anyway, sir," she said to him.

"Do not worry, Aika. It's quiet alright," Hotohori chuckled.

~0~

Soon the two ex-prisoners were on their knees in front of Emperor Hotohori.

"Forgive me, Aika. I didn't mean to deceive you. I wanted to determine your purpose and your personality. And I found out you're not a witch at all or our enemy," Hotohori smiled, dressed in his royal garb.

"So you won't punish us?" Aika asked.

"No, I gave you my word of honor," Hotohori replied. Tamahome was surprised as Aika smiled. "However, I do have a favor to ask. Aika, will you save our Konan Empire? There's an ancient prophecy that tells of a time when an Empire is in danger of being ruined by a colossal disturbance. A girl from another world appears. And through the power of Suzaku, eradicates the catastrophe."

"You know, I think you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm just a civilian who can't even live up to the standards of the average person in my world! It's a flook I'm here!" Aika said standing.

"And so you don't want the power of Suzaku. Could it be you have nothing at all to wish for?" Hotohori asked her.

"To wish for?" Aika asked confused.

 _"_ _To make her dreams come true after possessing the Seven Stars of Suzaku. And many powers were bestowed upon her. The story itself is a spell. And the one who reads it through will be given the powers and granted a wish just like the girl in the story,"_ Naruto's words ringed in her head.

"You mean if I read the book and become a heroin, my wishes would come true?" Aika asked. "You mean…I could finally be happy? Open my shop and…have my family back?" She whispered. The two men heard her and frowned.

"If that is what you wish, Aika. The entire world is yours if that's what you desire," Hotohori said to her.

"I'll do it! I'll take the part of the Priestess of Suzaku! I do want my dreams to come true!" Aika told him, determination burning in her eyes. Hotohori smiled and stood.

"Then let it be proclaimed that here is the one we have waited for; Aika Hitsubasa, the savior of our Empire. The Priestess of Suzaku!" Hotohori announced. Soon the curtain opened and revealed everyone bowing to Aika.

~0~

"The girl consented to receive the power of Suzaku. Hundreds of courtiers paid their homage and pledged allegiance to her. To them, she was the savior of their Empire," Naruto read to himself. He smiled a bit. "I knew there was something about you. It seems you were more special than we thought, Aika."

 **Kida: *Grins* Job well done I say!**

 **Naruto: *Blinks* I just realized...this is why you had me take Chinese?! Don't you know Ancient Chinese is hard to learn?!**

 **Kida: *Shrugs* Hey, you're the one who has to read the book, not me. I don't know what that thing says.**

 **Tamahome: *Raises an eyebrow at Naruto* Are you saying I sucked at teaching you?**

 **Naruto: *Pouts* No...but you're not exactly the best teacher. Kakashi-Sensei's better.**

 **Tamahome: *Tick mark* Why I outta-!**

 **Kida: ENOUGH!**

 **Tamahome &Naruto: *Gulps***

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the story. Please favorite and comment, loves! See you in the next chapter!**


	4. The Seven Stars of Suzaku

**Kida: The third chapter!**

 **Tamahome: *Raises an eyebrow* You seem happy today.**

 **Kida: I finally got some sleep last night...and I had a whole bag of M &Ms!**

 **Tamahome: M-what?**

 **Naruto: *Groans* We've told you no sugar! You know how you are!**

 **Kida: *Pouts* It was only a small bag...I WANT MORE!**

 **Hotohori: *Grabs Kida* No sugar for now.**

 **Kida: *Blushes* O-okay, Hotohori.**

 **Nuriko: *Glares* I hate her. First Aika now Kida. Kida Tenshi doesn't own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi, thankfully, only her OC Aika Hitsubasa and possibly future OCs.**

 **Kida: *Grins* Enjoy, loves!**

Aika Hitsubasa was an ordinary Leaf Village civilian doing her best to open her own shop. One day at the library, a radiant red bird appeared and led her to a magical tome. _The Book of the Universe of the Four Gods._ After her friend Naruto joined her, she was transported to Ancient China through the book's spell. Then Lady Aika found herself in the Konan Empire and Naruto stayed in the present day library to follow the story as Lady Aika met Tamahome, a young man with the symbol of the Ogre. And they were both caught and thrown into prison by order of Hotohori, the Emperor.

"Then let it be proclaimed that here is the one we have waited for. She will be the savior of our Empire. The Priestess of Suzaku!" Hotohori announced.

"Thank you, Priestess for your wise council!" The courtiers said. And so it came to pass that Aika Hitsubasa was to be the Priestess of Suzaku. The Girl of Legend.

~0~

"On the night of her initiation, her first night as the Priestess of Suzaku, the girl had a dream."

~0~

 _"_ _Aika? Aika, where are you?! Aika, can you hear me?! Aika!" A male's voice rang, creating echoes. Aika opened her eyes a bit._

 _"_ _I-is that Naruto?" She then saw a young man with blond hair and blue eyes._

 _"_ _Aika."_

 _"_ _Naruto!" Aika said reaching for his hand. "I wanna go home! Naruto, take me back to real life where everything is normal. Take me home, brother, please," Aika pleaded to the man she thought of as a brother._

 _"_ _But you don't understand. I'm not your brother…"_

"But I'm not your brother," Tamahome's voice said as Aika woke up. She saw she was holding Tamahome's hand as he stood there. She blushed a bit.

"Tamahome!" She exclaimed before turning away, embarrassed. "What are you doing in my bedroom?"

"Oh, that's real nice. I just came in to check on you and make sure you were all right," he said to her. Aika frowned with guilt and grabbed his hand.

"Sorry, I'm just embarrassed when people see me in my night clothes," she said to him. Tamahome smiled a bit showing it was okay.

"The Emperor's worried about you too," he said surprising her.

"Was he really?"

~0~

Hotohori was in his room and looked himself in the mirror. He then let out a sigh, his four courtiers behind him.  
"I'm so beautiful it scares me," he said making them freak out.

~0~

"You were worried about me?" Aika asked Tamahome.

"Yeah," Tamahome replied.

"Oh."

"Everyone in the Empire's talking about you," he said as he sat down next to her on the bed.

"What about me?" Aika asked curious.

"They say that Suzaku has appeared and thanks to you I get to stay in this magnificent palace," Tamahome smiled. Aika sweat-dropped at that.

"Glad I can suddenly bring you so much leisure," she muttered before looking away. "Don't feel obliged to look after me just because of that. I'm not so lonely and fine on my own. After all, I've been alone most of my life-ah!" She was suddenly pulled into a hug by Tamahome which made her blush. He had an arm around her shoulders, his other hand laying gently on the back of her head.

"Don't keep it pent up. Cry if you feel like it," he said softly to her.

"I…I do," Aika whispered almost ashamed.

"You can consider me your brother if you want. I won't even charge you, how's that for a deal?" Tamahome asked with a small chuckle. Aika sighed softly and placed her hand on his chest before clenching the cloth in her hand.

 _'_ _Being held like this…it feels nice,'_ Aika thought as she closed her eyes.

"Listen. I was just thinking," Tamahome pulled back and placed his hands on her shoulders. "If you really wanna get back to your own world, you should try to fulfill the prophecy right away. You'll be given the supreme power of Suzaku and once you have that you can wish yourself home, right?" Tamahome asked. Aika smiled.

"Yeah, it makes sense," she agreed. "Now, I need you to get out so I can change," she said to him.

"I get it. It's so sad, I don't get to see just how beautiful you are under those clothes," Tamahome feigned sadness.

"Oh, you flirt," Aika said with a small blush.

"And don't you forget it!" Tamahome said leaving. Aika laughed a bit before getting dressed. She walked out of the room then.

"Come on! Let's go!" Aika smiled brightly at him before running off to Hotohori's room.

"Aika!" Tamahome called.

"Hotohori!" Aika called instead. She ran into his room and accidentally tripped.

"Aika," Hotohori said, a little surprised she tripped.

"Hotohori!" Aika blushed in embarrassment from having him see her like that. "Uh, I mean, Emperor," she smiled nervously.

"Good to see that you're well," Hotohori smiled. "Sorry that I've been too busy to come and stay with you," he said as Aika got up.

"You don't have to be sorry," Aika gave him a smile as Tamahome stood next to her.

"And now you're…" Hotohori trailed off.

"Well…actually, I'd like you to tell me what I have to do to obtain the real power of Suzaku," Aika said.

"So we've come to that," Hotohori mused before lifting an open scroll up. "It's written in this scroll," he added. Aika gasped a little when she saw it. "Do you recognize it?"

"Yeah, I think I do," she replied remembering the book was similar to it.

"The Universe of the Four Gods," Hotohori stated.

"That's the one," Aika nodded.

"The one what?" Tamahome asked confused.

"Taiso," Hotohori said.

"Who's Taiso?" Aika asked him.

"The first Emperor was given this prophetic volume by Taiitsukun, the one who controls this world," Hotohori stated.

"Amazing," Aika mused as she listened.

"We divide by four. The twenty-eight regions in the Heavens. That's seven constellations for each cardinal point and these points are the four Gods. Suzaku is the general term given for the seven constellations found in the Southern Heavens. The members in the realm of this constellation are Chichiri, Tamahome, Nuriko, Hotohori, Chiriko, Tasuki, and Mitsukake. These are the Suzaku Seven," Hotohori said.

"Then you must carry a mark, Hotohori. Just as Tamahome does," Aika figured, earning a smile from Hotohori.

"You are a very quick learner, Aika. I am impressed," Hotohori said. Aika then saw Hotohori move his collar to reveal his symbol on his neck. "I am Hotohori, the Sea Snake. Tamahome, you are the Crab, one of the Seven Warriors. You must guard the Priestess and you must bring her power. The Universe of the Four Gods says 'this is the story of a girl who gathered the Seven Celestial Warriors of Suzaku and made her dreams come true'," Hotohori stated.

"That means if we find the five other people with the signs of the planets on their bodies…" Tamahome started.

"Then I can make my dreams come true," Aika finished.

"You've got to find the others on your own. The power of Suzaku is not granted until the Seven Warriors gather together," Hotohori told her.

"Tamahome, did you know?" Aika asked, wanting to be sure.

"Know what?" Tamahome asked her.

"That you have been named from one of those constellations?" Aika clarified.

"Yeah."

"Hotoho-I mean, you're majesty, you too?"

"Of course I knew," Hotohori replied. Aika sighed to herself.

 _'_ _I knew it. That's why they've both been so sweet to me,'_ she thought almost sadly.

"Why? Does that disappoint you?" Tamahome asked her. Aika looked at him slightly surprised he would ask that. She gave a small smile.

"No, not at all," she replied. "Anyways, let's go find those five other warriors," she smiled.

"Search the Empire and gather all who excel in martial and literary arts!" Hotohori had ordered his men. Soon they were in the courtyard and Aika sweat-dropped.  
"Dammit…these are a lot of guys. It'll be like finding a needle in a stack of needles!" She exclaimed.

"Sire, Priestess, as you ordered; the best in their fields throughout the entire Empire," the courtier told him. Hotohori was sitting in a chair while Aika was standing close by Tamahome who sat on the steps.

"Well done, thank you," Hotohori said. Aika sighed.

"Well, knowing from experience, the marks won't appear out of sheer will power. Also, they're bound not to know they even carry a mark," Aika mused as she remembered Naruto not knowing about the seal on his stomach. At least until it became visible that is.

"That's right, Aika," Tamahome smiled, impressed. He then grinned as he jumped down, cracking his knuckles. "Stand back and let me show ya how to put 'em to the test. Personally, I'm hoping the other five will be beautiful women," Tamahome grinned more with glee. Aika anime fell before standing with a sweat-drop.

"Well, _personally_ , I'm hoping the other five will be handsome men," she mimicked before sticking her tongue out at him cutely.

"Ready?" Tamahome asked the men before he attacked all the men. Soon the men were all on the ground.

"Tamahome…" Aika groaned.

"Uh oh," Tamahome hummed seeing all the men on the ground.

"I see…that we're getting absolutely nowhere with this," Hotohori sighed. Aika smiled.

"I guess it's up to me to discover who the Seven Warriors of Suzaku are," she said.

"Yeah, but how?" Tamahome asked her.

"As the old saying goes 'strong dogs never bark' and that's the secret to our success. True warriors would never stoop to fight with girls-unless ninjas. Let's see what they do," Aika said tightening her sash bow.

~0~

"We should go back now, Lady Kourin. If he finds out you're here, he'll have you punished," one of the maids said to a woman with purple hair and brown eyes.

"Is that the Suzaku of Legend I've heard about?" Kourin asked her.

"Yes, ma'am."

"They look cozy, but she's not the legal wife. Who's that other guy that's there?" Kourin asked her.

"His name is Tamahome. He's one of Suzaku's Seven Warriors."

"Tamahome…"

~0~

"Okay, let's see what you got, boys. I'm ready for you," Aika smiled at the soldiers.

"No warrior with half a soul would think to do battle with a little girl," one of the soldiers said.

"Okay, let's get one thing straight. I'm not a little girl. Sure, I'm younger than you, but I'm not little!" Aika said. She hated being called a little girl. She was practically a woman for Sage of the Six Paths' sake! "Anyways, I learned some fighting techniques back home. Techniques called Taijutsu that has to do with hand-to-hand combat. I learned it from the master of Taijutsu-Rock Lee! So you don't have to worry about hurting me!" Aika smiled proudly. _'_ _At least I hope don't have to worry….'_ She thought. She got into her fighting position. "Come on, boys! Show me what you're made of!" She called. The men then went to attack her. "Well, it looks like they're not the ones we're looking for," she muttered. She fought and dodged their attacks and ran to the pagoda. One of the soldiers threw his hammer, hitting one of the pillars hard.

"Stop it right now! Didn't you learn not to fight with girls?!" Tamahome growled as he attacked the men. He saw the pagoda going to collapse and gasped.

"Aika! Get away from there now!" Hotohori shouted.

"No!" Tamahome shouted that it was going to fall. Unfortunately, it did. "Aika!" Tamahome shouted.

~0~

"The Priestess could not escape in time and found themselves trapped under the collapsing building," Naruto read. He suddenly felt something. "Huh?" He moved the book and saw some red on his pants, like he was bleeding. "W-what's going on here?"

~0~

 _'_ _Ah, my leg! It's hurts so much I know I'm still alive,'_ Aika thought. She opened her eyes to see Tamahome on top of her, holding the stone roof up with his back. He was grunting in pain, his lavender eyes squeezed shut.

~0~

"C-could it be true? The Priestess' clothes were stained deep red with blood from the deep cut in her leg," Naruto read. He gasped a bit. "As I read this book, what happens to the Priestess of Suzaku happens to me too!"

~0~

"Pull those columns away, quickly!" Hotohori ordered, worried for Aika.

"Please stay back, Sire. It's dangerous!" One of the courtiers said.

"This isn't a time to worry about me!" Hotohori told him.

"It's too heavy! The warriors are still out cold!" One of the courtiers said.

"And we can't punch this rubble!"

"I can handle this. Step away!" Hotohori ordered.

"Sire!" Aika looked up at the pained Tamahome.

"Stop before you hurt yourself! It's too much!" Aika said to him, worried. Suddenly the mark on his forehead glowed and he opened his eyes.

"Idiot, I told you I would take care of you and I meant it. So any time you need me, I'm there to protect you," Tamahome vowed. Aika was touched to hear it and it made her heart skip a beat. She focused on bringing chakra to her hands and arms then placed her hands on the pillar that being supported by Tamahome. "What are you doing?"

"What I can to help," Aika replied as she used the chakra to help her.

"Aika! Tamahome!" Hotohori shouted as he got down to dig them out. "The Gods preserve them." A woman then walked up.

"I can do that, Sire."

"Huh?" Hotohori turned to see the woman. Tamahome was sweating down and looking more pained and struggled.

"Dammit…I can't…" he groaned. He started slipping, a drop of sweat landed on Aika's cheek and he was bring brought down closer to Aika, their lips inches apart as he gritted his teeth. Suddenly the roof was lifted off them by one hand from the women with purple hair and brown eyes-Kourin. The woman was easily picking up and tossing the rubble. Hotohori was surprised at her strength. Kourin lifted up the pillar and saw Aika and Tamahome.

"Oh, they're still alive," Kourin said tossing the pillar away. "You have the devil's luck."

 _'_ _Who's she?'_ Aika asked as Tamahome stayed like he was. Kourin dusted her sleeves off.

"Aika, are you alright?" Hotohori asked as Aika was helped out and sat down.

"Yeah, take care of Tamahome first. I'll be okay," Aika assured. She looked at her bleeding leg and was given some cloth to clean it off. She was careful about doing so. "It's time like this I'm Sakura taught a little healing jutsu," she smiled a bit as her hand glower green, placing it on her wound. Hotohori and Tamahome were surprised to see it, but knew that would come in handy when they saw the wound healed faster.

"Are you alright?" Hotohori ask Tamahome as they were both helped out.

"No, Sire…I've been hurt," Tamahome replied. As the two sat down.

"Tamahome, you have proven yourself as Suzaku's protector," Hotohori smiled a bit.

"What's the pay?" Tamahome asked jokingly.

"You scared me half to death! I thought you were going to die in there all because of some silly oath!" Aika said with worry. Tamahome chuckled. "Well? Is that why?" She asked. He smiled at her.

"I have a mind of my own, you know. And I do what I feel like doing, but you are going to pay me back someday for this, Aika," he said to her friend. Aika blushed a bit and looked down

"Thanks for saving me," she said

"That's no-ngh!" Tamahome groaned in pain making Aika look at him with worry. "Ow, that hurts!"

"Stay still," the healer told him.

 _'_ _Tamahome, while you were protecting me under the rubble, it was breaking my heart,'_ Aika thought as she looked at the young man.

"Ah! That hurts!" Tamahome said as his forehead wound was being cleaned a little.

 _'_ _You hurt yourself to save my life. Is that just because I'm the Priestess of Suzaku? Or maybe…'_

"Are you one of the chosen women in my imperial harem?" Hotohori asked Kourin.

"Yes, Sire," Kourin replied.

"How did you come by that great strength of yours?" Hotohori asked. He looked at her collar bone and saw a part of a mark. He went to pull some of the cloth back until Kourin back up, covering that area.

"What are you doing, your Highness?" Kourin asked. Aika sighed a bit.

"There's a mark right under your collar bone. He was trying to get a closer look at it," she said having seen it.

"Oh, you mean this," Kourin smiled revealing her mark.

"The Willow," Hotohori murmured.

"I am known as Kourin, but my given name is Nuriko, Sire," Nuriko smiled as she covered her mark again.

"I have never noticed you as a warrior before," Hotohori stated before Aika walked up to Hotohori.

"Well, it looks like we've found our third of the Seven Warriors," Aika smiled. Tamahome let out a chuckle.

"What are you smiling about, Tamahome?" Hotohori asked.

"Oh, not a thing," Tamahome said innocently. Aika smiled kindly as she walked up to Nuriko.

"It was worth all of that to find the third Star Warrior so quickly. Thank you for saving our lives, by the way. I'm Aika Hitsubasa," she said holding her hand out. Nuriko looked at the hand before going over to Tamahome.

"The person I was really trying to save was this fellow here," Nuriko smiled. She cupped Tamahome's face before kissing him. Tamahome was stunned while Aika blinked in surprised.

"W-what the-?"

~0~

"The Priestess washed the stains from her clothing," Naruto read as the blood disappeared from his pants."And pondered the day's events."

~0~

Aika brought up her wet dark purple short kimono with a smile.

"Like new again. I didn't think that blood would ever come out," she said before looking at her leg. It only looked like a scratch seeing as it wasn't fully healed. "She may have saved us, but lady gets on my nerves big time," she muttered. _'_ _Why did she kiss him like that? Ugh! She bugs me! Still she is one of the Seven Warriors and I'm going to need her help. The only way to get home is to gather the Seven Warriors of Suzaku and be granted Suzaku's power and wishes. So like it or not I'm gonna have to get alone with Nuriko. But how? How can I make it a little easier to be friends with her?'_ Aika thought aggravated. She started undoing her bra. _'_ _Okay, when I'm done with my wash I'll go and see her. And maybe I can-."_

"Aika!" Tamahome burst through the door. Both he and Aika blushed when it came to her being almost completely naked aside from her panties.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking, you jerk?!" Aika scream as she covered her chest.

"Yes! No! I can't! I'm running away and I need a place to hide for a while!" Tamahome shouted as he looked away. Suddenly his ankles were tied with bandages and he fell face first. It was Nuriko.

"Nuriko?!" Aika asked.

"Oh! Won't you excuse us there, girlie-girl? We're playing a little game and it's Tamakins' turn to be tied up!" Nuriko laughed. "Come on, Tama, that's a good boy," Nuriko said pulling him out of the room. Aika sighed.

 _'_ _She may be annoying already…why the hell am I annoyed in the first place?! It's not like I like Tamahome that way….right? Well, I'll just have to be the bigger person about this. I won't let Nuriko show she's annoying me. I need her to get him so I'll just act like she doesn't both me!'_ Aika stated before getting cleaned up and dressed again. She then went to go see Nuriko. "Look, I want us to be friends. But right now, I'm going to be blunt. I don't like you," she stated surprising Nuriko. "But for the sake of Suzaku and my possibility of getting home, I'm going to be the bigger person and not let you bother me. I just need you and the others so I can be granted the power of Suzaku, get my wish, and go home. Then I'll be out of your hair," Aika said stated crossing her arms.

"Seems fair enough. Why did you even feel the need to say this to me?" Nuriko asked her.

"I needed to get it off my chest. Besides, I don't plan on making any real friends here. What's the point when I'm just going to lose them when I leave? It's not like you'll ever see me again when this is over," Aika stated. Tamahome was struggling as he was being sit on by Nuriko. But as soon as he heard Aika, he stopped and frowned.

"Aika…"

 _"_ _I told you I would take care of you and I meant it. So any time you need me, I'm there to protect you," Tamahome vowed._ Aika looked at Tamahome with a frown.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll just be on my way," she said before leaving the room.

"Wait! Aika!" Tamahome shouted trying to get away from Nuriko who was surprised to hear the raven haired girl say that.

 _'_ _She has some guts, I'll give her that,'_ Nuriko thought to herself. Aika made it out to a gazebo and looked out at the scenery.

 _'_ _I just want to go home. The last thing I wanted to do was burden people. I've always worked for what I wanted alone,'_ she thought. "Why can't I just do this myself?" She asked looking up at the sky. She sighed. "When it comes to things like this, I wish I could talk with you, Naruto," she whispered. She missed Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Yui, and Kakashi a lot. _'_ _Maybe they'll find a way to get me home,'_ she added.

Tamahome looked at Nuriko with a firm look.

"Nuriko, get off of me now," he demanded.

"W-what? Why?" Nuriko asked.

"I need to talk with Aika," Tamahome stated.

"Why are you so upset with me, my Tamakins?"

"It's just that I hate it when you-!"

"You hate me?" Nuriko whimpered. "You really do hate me," she said with tears in her eyes. "You prefer that girl to me and wish I'd never been born at all, don't you?"

"Wait a minute, I didn't say anything like that. I-I…" Tamahome sweat-dropped.

"Really, Tamakins? You mean you don't hate me?" Nuriko asked hoping.

"No," Tamahome groaned.

"Oh! I'm so happy! Oh, I knew it! You love me!" Nuriko said as Tamahome tried to tell her no. Nuriko then hugged him. Soon she dragged him to the kitchen where she began complaining to the chef.

 _'_ _Finally! I can get away from her!'_ Tamahome smirked as he started crawling away. He started looking for Aika and soon found her, looking out at the scenery with sad brown eyes. Aika suddenly heard his grunts from when he was moving and looked over.

"Tamahome," she smiled a bit before frowning and helping him out of the bandage binds.. "I thought you were supposed to be having drinks with her royal pain," she said.

"While she was complaining to the chef, I snuck out of there," Tamahome said now free from the bandages.

"You must feel like a lucky guy to have impressed such a beautiful woman," Aika said looking away from him. "You make a beautiful couple."

"Do you know what you're saying?" Tamahome asked surprising her. "How could even think I'd be happy in a relationship like that?" Aika just stared straight ahead.

"Idiot, I know nothing about relationships. I've never been in one so how the hell would I know?" She asked. Tamahome walked up to her and placed a hand on her head.

"I've never been in a relationship either…maybe you were jealous?" He smiled a bit. Aika blushed slightly and avoided his gaze.

"Jealous of what?" She muttered making Tamahome chuckle.

"Just know that I don't like Nuriko that way, okay?" He asked her. Aika smiled a little.

"Okay," she replied. She then thought about what she said earlier. "And I'm sorry about what I said. Honestly, I already thought of you as a friend even though I know I shouldn't."

"Why do you say that, Aika?" Tamahome frowned.

"It'll be painful when I leave. After all, this isn't my world," Aika stated. Tamahome lifted her chin up to look at him.

"Even when you leave, I would still like to be friends with you," he said sincerely to her. Aika was surprised to hear it until she smiled a bit and rested her head on his chest. Tamahome smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her in a friendly way.

~0~

"Tamahome stayed by her side and held her. He promised he would always be there for her as a friend. His concern was genuine and in such earnest, the Priestess of Suzaku knew he would look after her," Naruto read. He smiled a bit. "You better take great care of her, Tamahome. Or I'm going to beat you into the ground. Believe it!"

~0~

"I promise, Aika. I'll always be there for you like a friend should," Tamahome said as he held her. Aika smiled.

"Okay."

 **Nuriko: *Eye twitches* Aika gets all the hot guys.**

 **Kida: *Glares* Shut the hell up. You're a dude, live with it.**

 **Nuriko: *Blinks* H-how did you know?**

 **Kida: Because I'm not an idiot.**

 **Naruto: You're crabby. Is your sugar high over with?**

 **Kida: *Grumbles* I wish so I could fall asleep. You all better have liked it or I'll send Shukaku after you! Favorite and Review!**


	5. Missing Love

**Kida: *Asleep at desk***

 **Hotohori: When did she fall asleep?**

 **Naruto: *Shrugs* Right after she finished the chapter.**

 **Tamahome: I think she mentioned something about a presentation she had to give today so she had trouble sleeping last night.**

 **Hotohori: Oh dear. I hope she'll be okay.**

 **Tamahome: You and me both. She's not fun to deal with when she's crabby. Kida Tenshi doesn't own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi, just Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. Please enjoy!**

The Emperor of Konan searched the land and the best literary and martial artists were summoned to court. The Lady Aika as Priestess of Suzaku must identify the remaining five warriors of the southern realm. During and exercise, the colomn collapsed and Lady Aika was buried by the rubble. She only escaped death by Tamahome's intervention who saved her from being crushed, even though it caused him personal injury. A woman appeared to dig them out. Nuriko with a Willow symbol on her chest and extraordinary strength. She became enamored with Tamahome and ignored Aika completely. In fact, she was rude and never considered Aika's feelings in the least. Flaunting her creminis and feminine wilds.

"The Priestess of Suzaku was being held closely by Tamahome, but her thoughts gave her no peace," Naruto read as he looked at the picture.

~0~

 _'_ _I wonder what Nuriko would think if she saw this. If she does like Tamahome then I feel wrong about this,'_ Aika thought to herself before sighing.

"What is it?" Tamahome asked her.

"Are you sure you're not in love with Nuriko?" Aika asked.

"How could I be? I just met her and besides, she's not my type at all," Tamahome said, a little disturbed at the thought.

"Really? No joke?" Aika asked with a small smile. Tamahome chuckled before pulling away. He then walked to the ledge and put a foot up on the railing.

"Oh, I get it. You're jealous of her. Come on, admit it," Tamahome smirked. "This happens to me all the time. The ladies love me for my charm and class and good looks too I'm sure. But I'm not interested. I'm sorry, I'm look for money. Not for love," Tamahome said. He then started laughing.

"No! You've got the wrong idea, pal!" Aika told him but Tamahome just kept laughing. She then frowned. _'_ _I just hoped he didn't like Nuriko like that, that's all. I'm not jealous,'_ she thought. She heard Tamahome still laughing. "How long are you gonna keep that up, you goof?!" She asked. What they didn't know was that Nuriko was listening in on them.

~0~

It was now night time and Nuriko was leaning against the railing thinking to herself when Aika walked up to her. Nuriko looked at her.

"Aika."

"What's the matter, Nuriko?" Aika asked concerned when she saw the sad look on Nuriko's face.

"Well, I was walking around the pond in the west side pavilion today and I seem to have lost the mate this precious earring," Nuriko said showing her the earring.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Aika smiled.

"It's Yakojyu, a family heirloom. My mother gave them to me when I was ordered to enter the harem. They've always been my favorite."

"I see," Aika smiled a bit, understanding the importance of something.

"The stone shines in the dark so the best time to look for it is in the evening or at night. But none of the maids will go out because they're afraid of the dark, I guess," Nuriko said to her.

"I'll help you. I'm not afraid to go out there and look," Aika told her.

"Oh really?" Nuriko asked.

"It's the family heirloom you treasure the most, right? Then no problem, it has to be found seeing as it's important. Don't worry, you can count on me," Aika smiled at her.

"In that case, in order to repay your generosity, please accept my allegiance and allow me to serve you as Nuriko of the Suzaku Seven," Nuriko smiled. Aika smiled more.

"Nuriko, I would be honored. Wait right here, I promise that I'll find it for you!" Aika said before running off.

"Thank you. I'll be right here waiting!" Nuriko called.

~0~

At the gazebo, Hotohori was talking with his courtiers.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Well, you are eighteen, Sire and the time has long since come for you to choose and Empress. Has it not entered your mind?" The courtier asked.

"We went to all the time and trouble to collect these beauties from all over the country. Explain it to us, Sire. Why do you completely ignore the women in your harem?" The other courtier asked.

"Because."

"Because?"

"I am more beautiful than they are," Hotohori replied making the two look at him nervously. "I was joking," he added before they both let out nervous chuckles. Hotohori look up at the sky. "What concerns me now is the Empire and its people. And Empress can wait until later," he said before they started leaving the gazebo.

"Y-yes, Sire."

"But Sire, how about the young woman they are calling Nuriko?" One of them suggested.

"Never in a million years. She is one of the Seven Celestial Warriors, remember? And I don't go in for that. Besides, there is an ideal woman I have been dreaming of since I was a very small child," Hotohori stated.

"And ideal woman?"

"Oh! Hello, Hotohori," Aika smiled as she appeared by the bridge. The two courtiers had been surprised at the unexpected voice.

"Aika, what in heaven's name are you doing out here so late?" Hotohori smiled at her.

"Well, Nuriko needed some help, so I'm running and errand for her. That's all," Aika said.

"Are the two of you having a difficult time? My men have been keeping me informed as to all that's going on with you," Hotohori said. Aika frowned slightly as she remembered her talk with the purple haired woman.

"Well…."

"So, I will have to order her to behave. No one can disobey an imperial demand and she will have to-."

"Oh no you don't," Aika said stopping him.

"Hm?" Hotohori hummed.

"You cannot command someone to change their mind or their heart. Remember that," Aika smiled warmly. "Even though I said it would be useless for me to make friends with anyone, It's kinda already too later. I want to be friends with her, or at least on good levels. So I have to be the one to initiate it. I'm alright with that. Now, if you'll excuse me. Good night," she said before running off, leaving a speechless Emperor.

~0~

Soon the raven haired girl was in a swamp like area, looking around. Aika was becoming a little frustrated, but sucked it up.

"It's just gotta be around here somewhere," Aika said looking around. She sighed and was about to head back until some birds squawked and flew off, scaring her into falling into the water.

~0~

Naruto gasped as he saw he was suddenly soaking wet with water from head to toe.

"W-what is happening to me now?" He asked with a small groan. But he was more worried for his friend.

~0~

 _'_ _I can't move! Oh, I'm stuck! Ugh, I can't breathe! Help me! Tamahome!'_ Aika thought as she tried to swim up. She was caught in seaweed and was beginning to panic. She knew once she was out, she would be after Nuriko.

~0~

"Aika!" Tamahome gasped as he shot up from the bed. "Aika called for me just now, I can feel it. Something just isn't right, I know it," Tamahome said clutching his shirt.

~0~

Nuriko laughed as she sat in her chair. Two of her maids were with her.

"Oh, she's an idiot! Like a puppy dog, she ran out to the western pond in the middle of the night for nothing. The harem is never even allowed into the pavilions so how could I have been strolling anywhere near there?" Nuriko asked.

"Exactly," one of the maids giggled.

"What a dummy. She's probably soaking wet by now," Nuriko said.

"The girl from another world needs to learn harem adequate, or she won't get along in this place," the other maid said before the door flew open. Nuriko gasped when she saw who was at the door.

"T-Tamahome," she panicked when she saw his angered look.

"Is everything I heard you say the truth?" He glared. He suddenly got a feeling and started to run until Nuriko grabbed his wrist. "Hey! Let go! Let go of me, you dominatrix!"

"No, I won't! I won't ever let you go to her!" Nuriko shouted.

"Aika wants to be friends with you! Are you blind?! Can't you see she's been trying!" Tamahome glared.

"She irritates me! She keeps both you and the Emperor all to herself! I've been in the harem for almost a year and he's never paid any attention to me! She suddenly shows up and all the men go nuts which I don't get at all! What makes her so special, huh?! I mean, what does the Emperor see in her?! She's not even women yet! So I decided to get my revenge and take you away from her!" Nuriko stated.

"I see," Aika said making the two look at the soaking wet girl. "So this was all a fool's errand because you were jealous of me?" Aika glared coldly. She then walked up to her.

"I'm really glad you're safe," Tamahome said with relief.

"So what? I don't care and I will not apologize. It's your own fault for being such an idiot," Nuriko snapped at her.

"Bite me," Aika said with a bored and cold tone, pretty much how Sasuke used to sound.

"Everybody indulges you just because you two come from some other world," Nuriko said.

"Right," Aika replied.

"Quit taunting me! Are you so scared of me that you can't fight back or don't you think I mean it?" Nuriko glared before slapping her. Another thing Aika didn't stand for was being slapped.

"Get a damn life!" Aika snapped. "I should do worse than slap you, but I'm actually the bigger person compared to you. I will return to my village and I will bring peace to this Empire. You can hate me all you want, but you will work with me and the other Warriors because it's the right thing to do. Also, the Emperor is just my friend. Honestly, if anyone's the idiot, it's you, Nuriko," Aika said before walking off, leaving a stunned Nuriko and Tamahome behind.

~0~

Aika sighed as she talked to Hotohori.

"You're point is?" Hotohori asked her.

"So, my point is, I just thought you should know. That's all," Aika replied. "It's always nice to know someone nearby loves you, don't you think? I mean, how would you know if someone didn't tell you?" _'_ _Besides, maybe this'll get Nuriko off my back.'_

"Aika, do you have someone you love?" Hotohori asked curious.

"Well, I…" Aika thought of Tamahome. "But we're not talking about me, are we?" Aika smiled sheepishly.

"I have someone. All of my life, I have been waiting," Hotohori looked straight at her. "For only one woman," he said surprising her.

~0~

Naruto was ringing out the bandages he kept in his pouch. He was then surprised. He unwrapped some of the bandages.

"What? Amazing! All of a sudden it's dry! Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed. He then looked back at the book. "The Emperor revealed to the Priestess how he felt about her."

~0~

Hotohori gently pushed Aika onto the bed, hovering over her as she blushed a bit.

"When I was a child, I was told about the legend of Suzaku who came from another world. And since then I often dreamed of what she would be like. Aika, you are the one that I imagined. The only one I'm interested in and I want to know all about you. Everything," Hotohori said before he started leaning in, closing his eyes. Aika's brown eyes were wide and she suddenly saw Tamahome flash through her mind.

 _'_ _Tamahome,'_ she thought before closing her eyes and clamping her lips shut. Suddenly Hotohori stopped and grabbed his sword from under the pillow before getting out of bed. "What is it?" She asked as Hotohori drew his sword, standing at a wall. _'_ _What Happened?'_ Aika thought before Hotohori suddenly strike the wall a few times. The wall then crumbled revealing Tamahome and Nuriko with their hands to their ears. "Tamahome! Nuriko!" Aika scolded. The two began humming like they were innocent and like nothing was happening.

"What are you two doing here? Answer me," Hotohori demanded. The two climbed into the room through the hole.

"Sire, we've come to pick up Aika," Tamahome answered.

"Well, Tamahome, you should have been more considerate tonight and thought this through a little better. Even though I had previously granted you permission to enter my chamber," Hotohori stated as Aika looked away from Tamahome's gaze. She hadn't wanted this to happen.

"I'm sorry, Sire," Tamahome apologized.

"Hotohori, will you excuse me please?" Aika asked.

"Aika, I meant everything I told you earlier. You say you want to find a way back to your own world, but you must reconsider because after our mission, I want you for my wife," Hotohori said surprising the raven haired girl.

"Y-you want me for what?" Aika stammered. Tamahome was silently praying she wouldn't.

"Of course it's not an imperial command. You can't order someone to change their mind, I know that. I will find a way to make you fall in love with me, Aika. You can sleep here tonight," he smiled at her. Aika was blushing before Hotohori walked away.

 _'_ _An Emperor just proposed to me. It's unbelievable_ ,' Aika thought. The next morning, she rubbed her sleepy eyes. "I didn't even sleep a wink last night," she mumbled to herself before going to her room to change into her clothing. "What is it about me that's got Hotohori's eye?" She asked before looking the mirror to fix her hair. "I look plain, why would he like me that way?" She asked next before sighing. She left her room and yawned as she stretched a bit. _'_ _Tamahome must have heard it all. I wonder how he took it,'_ Aika thought before accidently bumping into someone. "Oh, excuse me!" She said before she saw it was Tamahome.

"Oh, it's you," Tamahome said before starting to walk away.

 _'_ _That's it? Nothing about last night?'_ Aika asked herself frowning. "Where are you going?"

"I gotta get to work. I've been letting my business slide these past few days and the streets are calling me back," Tamahome replied in a bored tone.

"Wait, I'll come with you," Aika offered as she walked up to him. Tamahome looked at her with a blank expression.

"Well, I'm sure you're busy making new friends and searching for your other four warriors as well," Tamahome stated before he kept walking.

"But, Tamahome…" Aika frowned sadly. She suddenly caught an angered vibe and turned to see an angry Nuriko.

"Aika…" Nuriko growled. "You're just Hotohori's friend, right?! How dare you spend the night in the Emperor's chambers?! I'll never forgive you for that!"

"You're taking it the wrong way," Aika sighed, not effected by her anger. She's seen it enough from Sakura. Nuriko smiled when she saw Tamahome.

"Tamakins! Wait for me!" Nuriko called running after him.

"As soon as I hoped to make friends with her, it becomes a complete mess," Aika muttered. She then looked sadly at Tamahome. _'_ _What is going on with Tamahome? He's treating me like a complete stranger. And he didn't say anything about last night as if it didn't mean anything at all to him,'_ she thought before standing up. She then started following them. _'_ _I feel bad about following them, but I need to make friends with Nuriko and I also need to find out what Tamahome is thinking. Nuriko will be hard though. She's a trip. She says she loves Hotohori, but she hangs all over Tamahome,'_ Aika thought as she followed them after turning her hair short and brown and her eyes blue, different outfit too.

"Do you see her there? She thinks she's in disguise," Nuriko said about Aika.

"Let her think it," Tamahome said not caring.

"Oh, indifference now," Nuriko smiled. Tamahome made it to an area and ran up the steps before facing everyone.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Hey, everyone pay attention here!" Tamahome shouted. "Have you all heard about the Priestess of Suzaku?"

"Yeah, what about her?" A man called while Nuriko and Aika watched.

"I'm here to tell you she's not from any nearby country or even a distant one! She's not from this world at all! She's come from another world entirely! It's obvious! The clothes she wears and the property she owns are unattainable in our world! And I'm going to sell this stuff to a few lucky buyers out there today!" Tamahome smiled at everyone.

"Come on! Show us what you've got!" Another man called.

"What does he have of mine?" Aika blinked a bit, wondering what it was she gave him. Tamahome then took out three sticks of gum making Aika anime fall. _'_ _Oh yeah, the gum I gave him when we were in the cell before we pulled off that tiger charade,'_ she thought.

"This!" Tamahome said earning grins from everyone.

"So he kept that gum, every single piece," Aika mumbled.

"The price is one silver ryou each," Tamahome said to them.

"That's too expensive!"

"Take a look! Come on! Everyone, I wanna hear what you're going to offer me!" Tamahome said to them.

 _'_ _Don't tell me all I am to him is a way of making easy money,'_ Aika thought sadly.

"Wait a minute! This doesn't make any sense! Yeah, I heard the Priestess of Suzaku's the Emperor's favorite. She's always with him, so how did you end up with her belongings?" A man asked. Nuriko grabbed him by the collar

"What are you trying to say, huh? Are you calling my friend a liar?!" Nuriko glared.

"How are we supposed to know if it's real or not, huh?" The man glared at her.

"Yeah! He might lie to us or something just to make a sale," another man agreed before Nuriko grabbed him by the collar as well.

"Can you prove to us it's genuine?" A man asked Tamahome.

"You're conning us, you crook!" A man called.

"Everything this man says is true!" Aika told everyone. She turned back to normal as everyone looked at her. "And all that stuff he has are things I gave him!" _'_ _Might as well try to help him out.'_

"Aika," Tamahome said surprised.

"That's them alright! The Priestess of Suzaku!" A man said before Tamahome ran up to the girl.

"Alright, folks. The line forms here for an autograph or handshake, you have to go through me. Step right up and bring your money pouch!" Tamahome grinned.

"And since when did you become my agent?!" Aika asked him.

"I remember him now. He's the guy I saw with the Priestess of Suzaku the other day," a man said.

"So it's good then?" The man asked him. Everyone started pretty much attacking Aika and Tamahome for the gum. Tamahome grabbed Aika's hand and led her out. Soon the two were leaning against a wall, panting.

"We made it out. We're safe," Tamahome said relieved.

"Y-yeah," Aika panted.

"W-why did you do that anyway?" Tamahome asked her, panting a bit yet.

"Because…am I bothering you in some way?" Aika asked, avoiding his gaze.

"I never said anything like that," Tamahome told her.

"Well, what do you think of me?" Aika asked looking at him with her brown eyes. Suddenly to men walked up.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to have a word with you," one of the men from earlier said. Tamahome then stood protectively in front of Aika.

"What's on your mind, buddy?" Tamahome glared.

"You gotta pay us a protection fee to work around here," the man replied holding a knife.

"Great, there's like that here too?" Aika whispered.

"Well, I don't have any money for that," Tamahome said, not scared of them.

"Well, if that's the case, we'll just have to take out in trade," the other man said before Aika was grabbed by a man.

"Oh, she's a real sweet one, isn't she, boys?" A man smirked.

"Yeah, boss," the first two guys smirked.

"Hey, baldy, let her go," Tamahome growled.

"Listen, don't fight it, comrade. Everything you see around here is my turf. One nod from me and your business in this city is finished for good. So then, what's it gonna be, pretty boy?" The boss smirked at him.

"About the girl, boss. I heard him say she's the Priestess of Suzaku," the first man said.

"Oh, is that so?" The boss smirked looking at Aika then back at Tamahome. "Let's work out a deal, kid. You know how the business works. We'll give you a square deal and we'll buy the girl off you for thirty gold ryou," he said bolding a pouch of ryou up. Nuriko was watching from afar.

"Those two are in big trouble. Uh, I'd like to help you out, guys, but this time, I don't think so," she said. Tamahome glared at the boss.

"Thirty gold ryou for her? Don't mess with me!" Tamahome shouted before holding up four fingers. "Forty gold ryou!" making everyone anime fall.

"Thirty-five!" The boss shouted before the two were glaring at each other.

"Thirty-nine!" Tamahome shouted back.

"Thirty-seven, you greedy punk!" The boss shouted back at him.

"She's worth forty, you cheap pick pocket!" Tamahome shouted.

 _'_ _But Tamahome…why?'_ Aika thought stunned and sad before looking down.

"Are you too scared to look?" One the man holding her cackled.

"Oh, I'm not scared….I'm pissed!" Aika shouted before punching him. It's then Tamahome kicked the first two men behind him. It's then lightning struck, thunder rumbled, and rain fell. Tamahome stood there and glared at the men over his shoulder, his symbol glowing. The boss growled and drew his knife.

"Alright, I gave you a fair chance. I'll cut her up so no one gets her!" The boss said before going to attack Aika. Aika glared and was ready to attack him. As soon as the boss swiped, Aika was grabbed by Tamahome and tackled to the ground. Tamahome glared at the boss, revealing the cut on his cheek that started to bleed. Tamahome saw two of the other guys come and swiped his leg to knock them down before punching them. Aika was suddenly grabbed and pinned to the wall.

"Hey! Let me go, asshole!" Aika shouted getting Tamahome's attention. He threw some concrete at the man's head, knocking him out. Tamahome stood and looked at the boss who growled and went to attack him. Tamahome was ready and ducked at the swipe of the sword, punching the boss in the stomach while Ai did a high kick to the boss' head.

"There are some possessions that must never be sold for all of the fortunes in the world," Tamahome stated surprising the raven haired girl. Tamahome walked up to Aika and offered his hand.

"Come on, let's go," he said to her before she slapped his hand away.

"Get away! What are you thinking about?! Man, you're such an idiot! Now you can't do your job around here! And you're bleeding! You could have gotten yourself killed! For what?! What do you care what happens to me?!" Aika shouted at him. Tamahome turned his back to her.

"Come on."

"Not until you answer me," Aika glared

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Tamahome asked.

"To me it does! It does matter to me because I-I love you, you idiot!" Aika shouted before covering her mouth. _'_ _I love him?'_

"Well, sorry, I don't feel anything for you like that. I protect you because you're the Priestess. Our savior. Let's go now. The Emperor will be worried," Tamahome said to her.  
"Tamahome…" Aika went to reach for him until she blacked out and collapsed.

"Just when all was safe, the Priestess of Suzaku collapsed to the ground," Naruto read. Tamahome ran over with worry.

"Oh no! What happened?! Aika, are you all right?! Aika! Please, Aika!" Tamahome tried to wake her up.

 **Kido: *Tries to pull Kida out of bed* Let go of the damn bed!**

 **Kida: *Hold on to bed frame bars* No! Leave me alone! I'm sleepy!**

 **Hotohori: Kido, don't you think your sister should sleep?**

 **Kido: Nope! Twiny here needs to get her lazy ass up! *Continues pulling on sister's ankles***

 **Kida: *Growls* LET GO OF MY DAMN ANKLES OR I'LL KILL YOU IN YOUR SLEEP!**

 **Kido: *Gulps and lets her go* Sleep well, sister dearest. *Runs out of room***

 **Kida: Wuss. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please favorite and comment!**


	6. Bewildered Heartbeat

**Kida: Dude...you just made Aika sick.**

 **Tamahome: I didn't mean to!**

 **Naruto: *Glares at Tamahome* Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you for hurting her feelings.**

 **Kida: *Sighs* Unfortunately, he's needed for this story, Naruto.**

 **Naruto: Dammit!**

 **Tamahome: *Sighs of relief* Thank you, Kida.**

 **Kida: Oh, you're not off the hook, dude. *Hits him over the head with a paper fan* Genjo Sanzo's paper fan, great use for training monkeys and water sprites.**

 **Naruto: Wrong anime, but it works. Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs. Enjoy! Believe it!**

Aika Hitsubasa, the Priestess of Suzaku, was faithfully protected and cared for by Tamahome and she found herself strongly moved by his loyalty and tenderness. Meanwhile, the Emperor Hotohori pledged his devotion and proposed to her, asking for her hand in marriage. Still attracted to her first protector, Miaka tries to figure out Tamahome's feelings for her.

"Because I-I love you, you idiot!" Aika shouted before covering her mouth with surprise. The Lady Aika fell unconscious and she became very ill.

~0~

Back at the palace, Aika was lying in bed. Tamahome and Nuriko stood by the bed while Hotohori was sitting in a chair next to it. Hotohori made Aika drink some water before lying her head back down. Aika's cheeks where red, she was pale and sweaty, and was panting from her fever.

"Oh Miaka," Hotohori said with worry.

"I'm sorry, Sire. I feel responsible," Tamahome said to Hotohori as he looked at Aika with guilty eyes.

"Tamahome, tell me all that happened outside this court," Hotohori demanded. "I need to know the circumstances to determine your punishment."

 _"What do you care what happens to me?!"_ Aika's voice echoed in Tamahome's head.

 _"It doesn't matter, does it?"_ Tamahome had asked.

 _"To me it does! It does matter to me because I-I love you, you idiot!"_ Aika shouted. Tamahome's bangs shadowed his eyes.

"I saved her from a bunch of gangsters. That's all there was to it," Tamahome stated. Hotohori looked at him, almost disbelievingly.

"Excuse me, Sire," the doctor said getting their attention. "I'm very troubled. The Priestess is very weak and I can only surmise the commission of Suzaku can only be too large a burden for her. She suffers from extreme exhaustion and is notably stressed, mentally as well as physically. Her physical health should recover. However, mentally it is uncertain," the doctor told them.

"So she may not improve then," Hotohori said.

"That is difficult to say, Sire," the doctor replied.

"Naruto….Sasuke…Sakura…" Aika whispered in her sleep.

"You do want to go back," Tamahome frowned as he remembered her mentioning those names.

"Back to your own world," Hotohori agreed with a frown. "Tamahome, Nuriko."

"Sire?" The two asked.

"I need to speak with you," he said to them as they all left the room.

"Yui…" Aika whispered.

~0~

Hotohori rested his forehead against his folded hands as he sat at his desk, Nuriko and Tamahome standing on opposite sides of it.

"We've got to do something otherwise Aika might get even worse," Hotohori said to them.

"Under these circumstances, I think we should send her back to wherever they came from, your Highness," Nuriko said before popping a grape into her mouth.

"You would think that," Tamahome retorted, not really liking her at all now.

"However, who knows how to accomplish such a feat?" Hotohori asked as he thought to himself. "Ah, Taiitsukun," he realized.

"The Taiitsukun?" Tamahome and Nuriko asked surprised.

"That's correct. Taiitsukun is the great master whose hermitage is lodged in Mount Taikyoku. It is Taiitsukun that bestowed upon us the _Book of the Universe of the Four Gods_ and who might know how to send Aika home, back to their own world. Attendants, heed! Bring me the _Universe of the Four Gods_ at once!" Hotohori ordered one of his attendants.

"Yes, Sire!" The man replied before going to do so.

~0~

 _"It does matters because I-I love you!"_ _Aika shouted before covering her mouth._

 _"I'm sorry. I don't feel anything for you like that," Tamahome said before walking away._ Aika stared up at the ceiling.

 _'Tamahome…Where…Where am I?'_ She thought to herself. _'Oh yeah, I remember. I told Tamahome….oh, what a fool. I finally realize how much I love him and right away I scare him off. I'm so stupid!'_ Aika thought as she began crying. The door opened making her looked over. "W-who's there?" Aika asked until she saw Hotohori.

"Aika," Hotohori said with relief.

"Hotohori," Aika smiled a bit.

"How are you?" Hotohori asked her as he took a seat by her.

"I'm fine, still a little tired," Aika replied.

"You'll be all right, Aika. We think we've found a way to send you back to your own world," Hotohori said making her smile.

"Really?" She asked him as she placed a hand on his arm. Hotohori nodded.

"You have only to call upon Taiitsukun," Hotohori stated.

"Taiitsukun?" Aika asked him.

"To return to your own world, there's no other choice but to go to Mount Taikyoku where Taiitsukun lives. The Seven Warriors of Suzaku must travel alone and reach the mountain on their own merit," Hotohori explained to her before removing his crown off which made his fair fall freely. "It's rather far from here, but I promise to take you there along with Nuriko and Tamahome."

"But without my help, this entire Empire could perish forever. Isn't that what you told me?" Aika asked worried. Hotohori cupped her cheek after moving some of her black bangs away.

"Please, don't concern yourself with that right now. I've asked too much of you and I am so sorry is has made you ill," Hotohori said to her with worry and guilt.

"Hotohori," Aika murmured.

"But Aika, I want you to promise," Hotohori said.

"What do you want me to promise, Hotohori?" She asked.

"That after you regain your health in your own world, you'll both return back to Konan. For the sake of the empire and for me," he said to her before gently pulling her to him.

 _'Oh Hotohori, he truly does care about me. I am going back to my own world. Yes, I have to. And I'll forget about Tamahome. I've caused him so much trouble though. I should apologize to him,'_ Aika thought to herself. What those two didn't know was that Tamahome was outside the room, leaning against the wall and listening. Tamahome then started walking away. Nuriko saw him and threw a table at him making Tamahome fall. She then stomped on him.

"What's the big idea looking so upset?! This whole thing is all your fault for reject Aika!" Nuriko shouted. Tamahome jumped up with a bump on his head.

"Butt out, banshee! Who asked you anyways?! It's none of your business!" He shouted at her as he flailed his arm.

"What do you mean it's none of my business?!" She growled before grabbing him by the collar, anime tears running down her face. "You gotta do something and quick or the Emperor will never pay any attention to me ever!" She said before grabbing him by the neck. "Listen to me, wise guy, you better apologize to her!" She growled before letting him go. "And I'll make the Emperor fall in love with me," she said love struck.

"Aha! So now the truth comes out!" Tamahome pointed at her.

"So what?" Nuriko pointed at him. "You're no better than me. Was it manly of you to hurt her feelings? And you love Aika, don't you, Tamahome? You should be ashamed of yourself for being jealous of your own Emperor," Nuriko scolded.

"Jealous, huh? Right. Haha. I haven't even known Aika that long, so what makes you possibly think I'd be in love with her?" Tamahome asked her. "Besides, what I happen to love most of all is cold. Hard. Cash. So you can keep your jealousy all to yourself," Tamahome said walking away. Nuriko watched him leave with disappointment in her eyes. As soon as Tamahome turned around the corner, he leaned against the wall. "Am I jealous?" He asked himself.

~0~

The next day, everyone was ready to head out. Aika was all dressed up and watching two maids get Hotohori ready.

"Sire, are you certain you need no guards for attendance? No retinue of any kind?" A councilor asked.

"Why should I? This is my Empire and I have the authority to travel freely throughout it, do I not?" Hotohori asked him.

"Still in all, your Imperial Grace cannot be concealed even in these common street clothes, your Majesty." Hotohori chuckled and poked the councilor's forehead.

"You're right. The truth is the truth is the truth, councilor," Hotohori chuckled.

"Does he have to agree someone compliments him?" Aika muttered to herself as she watched the two. She looked over at Tamahome who was loading something onto the horse. He looked at her before the two blushed and looked away from each other. Nuriko looked between the two before blinking then flailing her arms.

"HOW IRRITATING!" She growled before they all mounted the horses. Aika was sitting on Hotohori's horse, in front of Hotohori. She was wearing a wrap to hide her identity.

"In my absence, I leave things in your hands," Hotohori said as the gate opened.

"As you command, Sire," the councilor replied before they all road off. Soon they were in a desert like area outside the Empire.

"We'll be safe from here on. No need to hide," Hotohori said as he gently moved the wrap off Aika. Aika saw Tamahome who looked back at her before she looked down.

 _'Talk about awkward,'_ she thought with a soft sight.

 _'I have to say something,'_ Tamahome thought to himself.

 _'It's really tense around here. Maybe I can try and lighten the mood,'_ she thought. "What do you call a ninja that can use lightning release? A shocking shinobi!" She smiled as she tried to joke. No one laughed making her sweat-drop. "Get it? Because he's a ninja that…can use…lightning….Sheesh, talk about a tough crowd," she mumbled. _'That normally gets Lord Kakashi!'_ She thought. Soon it was night time and they tied the horses up for the night. Hotohori was leaning against the tree while sitting on the ground and Tamahome was laying down, using his sack as a pillow. Aika had snuck away and was leaning against a tree. She panted as she rested her forehead against her wrist. "I can feel my fever rise. This traveling is hard on me," she murmured. _'How the hell do Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura do it?'_ Someone then walked up behind her.

"Aika?" Nuriko asked making Aika gasp in surprise. Aika looked at her.

"Nuriko, it's only you," Aika said relieved.

"Yeah. Look, I can see you're suffering and I know just the remedy," Nuriko said to her. Aika was a little hesitant considering the earring incident.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Uh huh! Listen, there's a small mineral spring deep in the forest. They say the healing water cures man of all his ills! Why don't you go there? It might be just what the doctor ordered."

"A mineral bath?" Aika asked. Well, she did feel the need for a bath. She stood up with Nuriko. "Thanks, Nuriko. You're a life saver. Keep it a secret for now, okay?" She asked. She didn't want to make Hotohori and Tamahome worry.

"Yeah, sure I will!" Nuriko smiled as the raven haired girl ran off. Nuriko then smirked before going over to Tamahome. She grabbed his ankle and started dragging him off, causing the poor boy to hit his head before he stood up…with three bumps.

"Jeez opetes! What are you doing?!" Tamahome asked, looking like a chibi with anime tears.

"I've got a message from Aika. 'Meet me at the mineral springs that's deep within the forest'," Nuriko told him.

"Why should I do that, huh?!" Tamahome glared. Nuriko started strangling him.

"If you call yourself a man, you'll patch up the trouble you caused!" She shouted before letting him go and laughing as she walked away.

~0~

Aika was walking around to find the spring. She was desperate for a nice bath. She sighed a bit, knowing she should have taken one before they left the palace. She soon found it and smiled.

"Oh good," she mused. _'Healing waters, huh? Good, I don't need them to worry about me anymore,'_ she thought as she removed her light purple sash.

~0~

"Deep in the forest, the Priestess of Suzaku found a small mineral spring and there she undressed," Naruto ready before panting a little. His cheeks were tinted as he wiped his forehead of sweat. _'Just great, now I have a fever,'_ he thought. He then remembered what all happened. ' _My pants had a blood stain and then I was soaking wet. Whatever happens to the Priestess of Suzaku is happening to me too,'_ he thought as he looked at the book. Suddenly the door opened and he looked over. "Yui…"

"Naruto, I've been looking all over for you and Aika," Yui said walking over to him. She frowned. "Naruto, you look sick," she said before feeling his forehead. "You have a fever! What happened?"

"Yui, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. But you need to know," Naruto said before he started telling her everything. She didn't believe it until she read the book.

"Aika…are you really trapped in a book?"

~0~

Aika got into the water after she had taken her clothes off. She let out a relaxed sigh at the feeling of the water.

"This water's nice and warm," she murmured. "Almost like one of the hot springs back home." What she didn't know was that someone was sneaking around.

~0~

Tamahome had his arms crossed behind his head as he grumbled to himself, walking through the forest to go meet up with Aika.

"I'm not traipsing around out here in the woods because Aika asked me to. I'm just killing time," he told himself.

~0~

Aika was cleaning herself up, humming a song until she heard something dive into the water making her gasp a bit as she turned.

~0~

Tamahome kept walking until he heard Aika scream making his lavender eyes widen.

"Aika!" He shouted before going after her.

~0~

Aika was pulled down under water and fought to swim up. She made it up and saw something coming after her, keeping her arms crossed to cover her chest.

"Aika!" She heard Tamahome call before seeing him jump over. "Get back! Stay away!" Tamahome shouted before attacking what was swimming after the brown eyed girl. She looked around.

"Tamahome? Where are you? Tamahome!" She called not seeing him. She then looked at the water. _'If he's still in the water then…oh no! He's still fighting that…whatever the hell it was?!'_ She thought. "Tamahome! Where are you?!" She asked looking around. "Don't tell me you let that thing kill you!" She exclaimed.

"I'm not dead. Be quiet," Tamahome grumbled as his head submerged. Aika looked at him.

"Oh, good. You're okay," she said relieved until she saw the log by Tamahome.

"Here's the thing that was after you, a piece of drift wood," he muttered. "You go into hysterics over nothing. You're such a girl."

"Oh shut up! At how fast it was coming at me and with how dark it was, that piece of wood could look like anything!" Aika said pointing to the wood. Tamahome suddenly saw her chest before the two blushed and turned away from each other quickly, Aika covering her chest with her arms.

"I didn't see anything!" Tamahome told her.

"I-I didn't say you did," Aika replied. _'Though I know you did. It's the reason we turned around,'_ she thought. They were silent for a moment. _'Here's your chance, Aika. It's time to apologize to him. For telling him I love him. I'll just say it was a joke and that I didn't mean it,'_ she thought. "I…"

"I'm sorry!" Tamahome and Aika said in unison.

"Huh?" Aika asked in shock. Tamahome looked at her.

"I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings, you know, that day that you fainted. It was the first time that any girl had ever told me that she loved me," he said before turning away. "I don't think I believed it a-and I-I didn't know what you say. For the last seventeen years money has been my main concern and it still is," he told her before getting out of the water. "Anyway, I'll take you to Taiitsukun just the same and make sure that you're safe. I hope that you feel better soon," he smiled a bit before running off.

 _'Tamahome,'_ she thought as she watched him. Suddenly Nuriko fell out of a tree. "God dammit, Nuriko!" Aika growled. Nuriko snapped her fingers as if her plan had failed.

"Jeez. I was so sure he was gonna make a move," Nuriko muttered.

"You mean you tricked me? So it was all a damn hoax?!" Aika growled at her. Nuriko looked a little scared at the girl's glare. Aika then slowly smile. "Thank you, Nuriko," she said getting out of the water. She then dried off before putting her kimono back on. "I've been trying to find a way to apologize to him and now I did it. Looks like he and I are back on good terms. But…" Aika glared before grabbing her by her robes. "You couldn't have warned me?!" She asked shaking her until suddenly the front of the dress was opened to reveal…no breasts?! Aika blinked. "N-no breasts? Y-you're a man….Dude, what the hell?!" She asked backing away in surprise. Nuriko laughed in a purple spot light like he was amused that he had been caught.

"Oh, I guess it's about time I'm exposed. Yes, I'm a man, I only dress up like a woman," Nuriko smiled.

"Okay, okay. You're a man. But you say you're in love with Hotohori and you kissed Tamahome right on the lips! So either you're homosexual or you just like teasing other guys, such as Hotohori, into thinking you're a woman!" Aika sweat-dropped.

"Oh, you're so naïve. Sex doesn't matter when it comes to true love," Nuriko said before Aika anime fell.

 _'Now I've really got a headache. I just found out the Warrior I thought was female is really a guy and is in love with another guy! I really hope this doesn't get any crazier before we reach Taiitsukun or I might explode like one of Deidara's bombs!'_ Aika thought.

~0~

An old woman chuckled as she watched Aika and Nuriko.

"The Priestess of Suzaku, eh? Very interesting. Don't think for a minute you'll be able to reach me too easily, weakling child."

~0~

Soon the group was crossing the river with their horses on a long boat. Aika was resting against the side and sighed a little.

 _'I really don't feel so good. How much further until we reach Mount Taikyoku? I can't wait…I really want to go home…'_ she thought sadly. She looked at the scenery.

"Admiring the scenery?" Hotohori asked making her look at him. She smiled slightly.

"A little. We have a river like this in the outskirts of our village. I was actually thinking of when my parents took me and my friends Naruto and Yui there to swim," she reminisced.

"Aika," Tamahome said getting her attention. "When the Emperor mentioned your dreams coming true, you said something about finally having your family back. What was that about?" He asked her. Aika frowned and looked back out at the water. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to," he said softly.

"No, it's okay. You would probably find out sooner or later. My mother was a ninja. A talented one actually. She was ranked Jounin," Aika smiled a bit as she remembered her mother. "She was strong, intelligent, and beautiful. On her last mission, it was an S-rank which is usually the hardest of all missions. Her team was ambushed and…she died with her teammates. I was only six at the time. Six years later my father got sick. He stayed in the hospital and eventually died because we didn't have the money for the surgery he needed. For the past four years, I've been on my own, saving up money to open my own shop. I kinda closed myself off from everyone except Naruto, Yui, Sasuke, Sakura, and our new Hokage Kakashi. The only ones I'm really close to are Naruto and Yui," she said as stray tear fell down her cheek. Tamahome frowned and wiped her tear away. Hotohori was looking at the girl with sympathy, even Nuriko was as well.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, Aika," Tamahome said softly to her. Aika wiped her tears away.

"It's nothing, I'm just being a big baby," she said to him, pretty much brushing off her past. Tamahome frowned more at that, knowing she didn't want sympathy. They made it to a village and had some dinner. Aika noticed Hotohori had left them and went to find him. She soon found him and walked up. "Hotohori, is something on your mind?"

"Just looking at the mountain range. I'm taking it all in, but I'm thinking…nothing," he said to her. Aika took a seat by him and looked at the mountains.

"I know what you mean. I never really paid attention to the scenery around me lately. I've been too busy focusing on opening my shop. I want to make my father proud," she said with a small smile.

"Your father…I succeeded my late father to the thrown when I was only fourteen years old. My mother guided me and strongly defended my claim against any opposition and she was responsible for my sovereignty. You could say I was merely a puppet in the shadow of her iron will. After she died, everything around me became so terribly quite. I had faithful courtiers and many loyal subjects by then, but I was lonely in those quiet days and felt like a bird in a golden cage," Hotohori said to her. Aika gave a soft smile to him.

"But now you can spread your wings and fly to wherever you want to. You're free now, Hotohori," she said surprising him. "You're still young and you're not alone. You have me, Tamahome, and Nuriko." Hotohori wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"You have such a kindly heart, do you know that, Aika? So warm and encouraging," Hotohori said, resting his head against her with his eyes closed.

 _'My heart, it's racing!'_ Aika thought.

 _'I want to be by her side, forever,'_ Hotohori thought to himself. Suddenly Nuriko fell out of a tree making Aika and Hotohori look at her. Tamahome was holding Nuriko back.

"Let me at her!" Nuriko shouted.

"What on earth is Nuriko so upset about?" Hotohori asked obliviously. Tamahome looked at Aika, trying to not let his jealousy show.

 _'Tamahome…'_ Aika frowned as she looked at him.

~0~

"My, oh my. Perhaps I shall have to test them. Vapor and mist resurrect from your sleep, turning and fogging. Within your wall's keep, send her a shadow the side she can't see. Envelope and cloak her and show her to me!" The old woman ordered as a mirror floated up and spun before disappearing.

~0~

"Hey, Aika!" Tamahome called. Aika was walking ahead while Tamahome was walking with his horse. "You know, you should wait for us."

"I can manage," Aika said, fuming about Nuriko. She suddenly tripped making the skirt of her kimono go up as she fell. Tamahome saw and blushed before walking up to her, his blush disappearing.

"There now, you see?" Tamahome lent a hand out to her. Aika looked at him and saw he had been looking at her skirt. She sat on her knees and held her skirt down.

"Just what are those eyes staring at?" She asked glaring with a blush. Tamahome blushed as well and looked away.

"Nothing! I-I didn't look!"

"Yeah, and I'm a pink unicorn that's jumping over sparkling rainbows," Aika said sarcastically. "I know you were looking at my panties, and I know for a fact you saw me naked before!"

"So?" Tamahome asked turning around, arms crossed behind his head. "Who cares if I saw you naked or not? If you had bigger breasts, more like a woman, then I might notice, but what's the big deal?" He asked as Aika got up while glaring. She focused chakra into her fist and punched him.

"I hate you, you jerk!" She shouted before running off, leaving a bloodied Tamahome.

~0~

"Nuriko, don't you think it's really quite peculiar?" Hotohori asked as they looked around the area.

"No, not at all. I think we would make a wonderful couple, Sire," Nuriko said sounding like a fan girl.

"That's not what I meant. It seems unusual that we have mist at this time of day," he stated.

"I agree, your Majesty. And it also seems like we've been walking in circles for a while," he told him. Tamahome walked up to Hotohori.

"Sire."

"Tamahome, where is Aika?" Hotohori asked when he didn't see the brown eyed girl.

"Well, you see, the fog started getting thick then suddenly she disappeared," Tamahome told him. Hotohori's eyes widened a bit.

"Disappeared?"

~0~

Aika was walking, glaring at the ground as she thought about the blue haired male.

 _'Why does Tamahome have to be like that? Hotohori seems to care more about me than he does,'_ she thought before stopping. She suddenly heard birds screeching making her look around. "What? Where are they?" She asked looking around for the others. "Don't tell me I got lost," she muttered before suddenly smelling something. It smelled like… "Mom's perfume?" She asked. She knew that scent very well. It was a mix of strawberries and cherry blossoms with a hint of vanilla. She followed the smell and suddenly saw her mother who had long chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. She was dressed in a grey tank with a black skirt, a red vest that ended at her upper thigh with gold trimming. She also wore black thigh-high leggings with black over the knee boots, and dark red, fishnet, arm warmers. "Mom?" She asked. Her mother gave that warm smile that Aika loved. "Mama!" Aika cried out before running to her. She was then in her mother's arms. "Mama," she softly sobbed. Her mother didn't say anything and Aika saw the dark area before looking at a mirror like wall. She ran up to it and banged on it. "Hey! What the hell is this?!"

"Welcome to the mirror world, Aika," a cold voice said. She looked over and saw a smirking version of herself. It reminded her of Sasuke when he had wanted revenge.

"W-what the hell?"

~0~

"Inside the mirror, a girl that looked very much like her stared at the Priestess. This impersonator smirked coldly and reprimanded the Priestess," Yui read as she sat next to Naruto.

"Smirked coldly? Almost reminds me of Sasuke," Naruto murmured.

~0~

"You are such a greedy person, Aika. Really, I'm quite ashamed of myself," the sinister version of Aika smirked at the stunned Aika.

 **Kida: *Glares at Tamahome* Tamahome, you're a real ass, you know that?**

 **Tamahome: *Groans, still rubbing injured head* What the hell did I do this time?**

 **Kida: You don't not mention a girl's chest in a negative way unless you want to be hit, you dumbass!**

 **Naruto: *Smirks* Even I know that!**

 **Kida: *Sweat-drops* Naruto, you told Sakura she hadn't changed a bit even after two years and she kicked your ass.**

 **Naruto: *Sweat-drops* Oh yeah...**

 **Kida: Oh brother. Well, I hope you all like this chapter! Please favorite and comment, loves!**


	7. Even If I Die

**Kida: Oh...my...fudge! There's so much drama in here!**

 **Naruto: *Sighs* Okay, how much sugar did you have today?**

 **Kido: She ate all her Christmas Chocolates that I said were for Christmas Day.**

 **Kida: I couldn't help it! They were calling to me. They said 'Kida. Kida, come here and eat me. Indulge yourself in my milk chocolate richness'**

 **Tamahome: You need some serious help. Ever hear of a mental hospital?**

 **Kida: I have. I've also questioned my sanity...I think I'm pretty sane.**

 **Tamahome &Kido&Naruto: Not even close.**

 **Naruto: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any other OCs. Enjoy!**

Lady Aika, the Priestess of Suzaku, became gravely ill due to the serious stress and strain caused by the drastic changes in her life style. So the Emperor decided to send her back to her home where she belonged. But nobody had the knowledge to do so and the Emperor himself bore Lady Aika to Taikyoku Mountain to seek Taiitsukun, the wise being. Renowned as the one that controls the universe. During the journey, she got lost in the wilderness and wondered into a strange mirrored world. There she discovered another Aika. And uncanny likeness except for her disposition.

Aika looked at the smirking Aika who was standing next to a woman that looked exactly like her mother.

"Still the heart broken little girl that lost her mama who will now do anything just to be held by her. What a selfish little brat," the sinister Aika said as the real Aika stood across from her.

"Just who the hell are you?" Aika glared.

"Who am I? I am you, dummy. The you reflected in the mirror," the other Aika replied.

"I know you're me, but you act nothing like me!" Aika exclaimed. The sinister Aika gave that cold smirk.

"I guess you could say I'm the you that dwells in the darkness of your heart. The one that wants revenge on the ninjas that killed our mother," she said making Aika glare.

"I don't want revenge," she growled.

"Aika!" Aika heard Tamahome call. "Aika!" Tamahome called. Aika turned to see Tamahome walking by.

"Tamahome!" Aika called before the mirrored Aika pushed her away.

"Out of my way. You can remain here and be held by your mother as much as you need to," the other Aika said walking through the mirror into the real world.

"Just hold on a damn it!" Aika shouted before banging on the mirror. "Let me out!"

"Shut up!" The other Aika said before taking out some lipstick. "And I think Hotohori is a much better catch than Tamahome," she said as she applied the pink lipstick. "I love him and I'm going to stay here with him forever," she smirked. "I don't wanna go back to our old world. I wanna stay here as the Priestess of Suzaku where everyone adores me. It'll be loads of fun being an Empress, won't it?" She snapped her fingers before the mirror clouded over.

"Let me out of here, god dammit!" Aika shouted before doing some hand seals. _'Come on, Sasuke. I hope your training comes through for me,'_ she thought. "Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" She shouted before attacking the mirror with fire that blew out of her mouth. "No…it's not ever scratched!" She didn't even acknowledge the fake mother that was there.

"Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!" The sinister Aika laughed.

"No! Come back! Let me out of here!" Aika banged on the mirror.

"No one outside can see or hear you. Don't you understand? Try to break my spell, Aika. If you really are the Priestess of Suzaku, prove it to me now!" An old woman told her. Aika turned with a glare.

"Okay, old hag, who the hell are you? And where are you?" She growled.

"She doesn't show much fear, does she?" The old woman mused to herself.

~0~

Tamahome couldn't find Aika and went back to Hotohori and Nuriko.

"Any luck?" Hotohori asked earning a head shaking from Tamahome.

"No," he replied until he heard a twig snap. They all looked over to see Mirror Aika walking over.

"Aika," Hotohori said relieved.

"Where the heck have you been, huh? What happened to you?" Tamahome asked her.

"Um, nothing," Mirror Aika smiled a bit as she walked up to Tamahome. "Were you worried about me, Tamahome?" She asked seductively.

"Uh, not really," Tamahome replied.

"You bitch! Get away from him right now!" Aika shouted worried for her friend's well-being.

"Well, I for one am glad you're safe," Hotohori smiled at Mirror Aika. She jumped into his arms, hugging him around his neck making everyone's eyes go bug eyed.

"Darling!"

"What the actually hell?!" Aika shouted seeing the sinister Aika hug Hotohori like that.

Mirror Aika let Hotohori go.

"Forgive me, darling," she said seductively to him.

"Aika! What do you think you're doing?!" Nuriko whined his demand.

"Oh, Nuriko. Does this upset you?" Mirror Aika sneered at her.

"Upset me? You-!"

"Oh come on. Isn't it about time you gave up on Hotohori? It's ridiculous. I mean, you are a man," Mirror Aika said in a bored tone. Nuriko yelped as he was now caught by Hotohori and Tamahome.

"Man? Y-you're a fella?" Tamahome asked him.

"Are you saying that…?" Hotohori began to ask, stopping when he realized that a member of his harem was male.

"How could you tell them?! It was a secret!" Nuriko cried, running away…breaking some trees down along the way. Mirror Aika just smirked cruelly as she watched.

"I don't believe it. There's another man alive who's almost as beautiful as I am," Hotohori said making Tamahome sweat-drop.

Aika banged on the mirror.

"Come on, guys! Hotohori, Tamahome, you have to know that's not me! You know I would never do that to Nuriko no matter how mad I was at him! If you don't help me then everyone will end up hating each other!" She shouted from the mirror the Mirrored Aika was carrying like a purse.

"Never mind all that. Come with me, Hotohori," Mirror Aika said to Hotohori, taking his hand and leading him away. "I have something to tell you in private." Tamahome watched them narrowed his eyes. He knew something wasn't right.

Aika growled and kicked the mirror.

"Ouch, dammit!" She hissed rubbing her shin and foot. "Today is not my day!"

"What did you want to say, Aika? Is anything wrong?" Hotohori asked her. Mirror Aika placed her hands on his chest.

"Hotohori, let's forget it," she said to him. Tamahome had followed them and was watching from afar. He was surprised to see Mirror Aika hug Hotohori like she was. "Let's stop looking for Taiitsukun's retreat."

"W-why?" Hotohori asked stunned.

"I don't wanna go back there if I have to live without you. You do love me, don't you?" Mirror Aika asked before pulling away to smile at him. "And I love you, Sire. Very much." She wrapped her arms around his neck and went to kiss him.

"Let me out! God dammit, let me out of here!" Aika practically screamed.

~0~

Naruto's and Yui's heads shout up and they looked around.

"Aika?" Yui called.

"Huh, I could have sworn I just heard her voice just now," Naruto said after they looked around for any sign of their friend. Yui sighed and looked back at the book.

"The imposter disguised as the Priestess of Suzaku is about to kiss the Emperor."

~0~

The real Aika watched with helplessness as she saw her other self going to kiss Hotohori. Hotohori glared and brought his sword up to the other Mirror Aika's neck.

"Tell me who you are, I command it," he demanded as the other Aika backed up.

"Uh, what do you mean 'who am I?'?" Mirror Aika asked him.

"The Priestess of Suzaku I know doesn't ever behave like this. Reveal your true form," Hotohori ordered as Tamahome walked up with a glare. Mirror Aika just giggled. "Watch yourself, Tamahome."

"What did you do with the real Aika?" Tamahome glared, fist ready.

"She's right here in front of you. I'm Aika's reflection, her shadow self. A part of her that even she is not aware of," Mirror Aika smirked coldly at them, arms crossed over her chest. The real Aika looked down ashamed.

 _'I had no idea I was like this somewhere deep inside me. But I can see it. Those times I was closed off from everyone…I was angry. I wanted the bastards that killed my mother dead. She really is me,'_ she thought.

"You really are a very foolish man. I have simply confessed my love to you after all your pleading," Mirror Aika smirked at him.

"Nonsense!" Hotohori snapped before going to attack her.

"Bad move there, big boy," Mirror Aika chuckled as she brought her mirror up in front of her. It glowed and there was suddenly white lightly surrounding Tamahome and Hotohori. The two men closed their eyes due to the bright light.

"Tamahome! Hotohori!" Aika shouted as she banged on the mirror.

"I-I'm losing all my power!" Hotohori shouted as he started to feel weak.

"I can't use my strength!" Tamahome struggled to say.

"You're both right. This mirror draws all of your power out and lets me absorb it to make myself stronger. The beloved Aika you're searching for is inside this mirror!" Mirror Aika said keeping her cold smirk as Hotohori dropped to his knees as did Tamahome.

"Inside of the…mirror?" Tamahome asked.

"You both promised to protect me, right? To protect the Priestess of Suzaku. It's only right then I secure more of their power. It's mine for the taking, isn't that right, Aika?" Mirror Aika said with a power hungry smirk.

"Stop it, dammit!" Aika shouted, worried for her friends.

"Stop it yourself if you want to save them, Miss Priestess of Suzaku!" Mirror Aika laughed. Aika looked at Hotohori and Tamahome as tears gathered in her eyes.

 _'How can I save them? How can I stop my darker self from hurting my friends?'_ She thought before seeing Tamahome look at the mirror.

"Aika…"

~0~

"How will you handle this situation, _Priestess of Suzaku_?" The old woman asked.

~0~

The Mirror Aika laughed her cold laugh. Aika thought to herself then suddenly remembered what the Mirror Aika had said.

 _"I'm Aika's reflection, her shadow self. A part of her that even she is not aware of,"_ the Mirror Aika had said.

"Of course! How could I have been so stupid? If she's really a part of me…" Aika trailed off and looked at her 'mother'. She walked over and dug through her 'mother's' pouch, pulling out a kunai. The metal shined showing how sharp it was. _'If she's really me then I could…'_ she kept her eyes on the kunai. _'Then I should. I have to die,'_ she thought before stabbing herself in the chest, making sure not to hit any vital organs. She grunted and slid down a wall, wincing and grimacing from the pain.

~0~

Naruto grunted and placed a hand over his chest. Yui looked at him with question until her blue eyes widening as she saw blood over his heart.

"What's happening?"

"Whatever happens to the Priestess….happens to me too," Naruto grunted as he held his chest.

~0~

The Mirror Aika gasped as her eyes widened.

"G-go away, shadow reflection!" Aika growled a bit.

~0~

"She wouldn't!" The old man gasped.

~0~

Aika stabbed the kunai further making her grunt.

"I…I won't let you…hurt the people I care about! GO AWAY!" She shouted before the Mirror Aika screamed in pain.

"What is happening to me?!" Mirror Aika asked as a bright green light came from her chest. The Mirror Aika started changing as green ooze shot out of her, the broken mirror dropping to the ground. She looked more like a monster. The white lightning was gone now.

"My strength is returning now. Tamahome!" Hotohori called. Tamahome glared at the creature before jumping up. He then did a round house kick on the creature. He then flipped away. The creature reached over to him and stabbed her nails into his shoulder making him groan in pain. Hotohori ran over and cut her arm off. Suddenly a large boulder came down and landed on the creature. The two men looked up at a cliff. "Nuriko?" He asked seeing him. Nuriko clapped dust off his hands as he sighed.

"I figured something unusual was going on with her!" Nuriko said before jumping down and landing by them. Hotohori walked over to Tamahome who held his shoulder.

"Tamahome, are you hurt? Did she injure you?" He asked. Tamahome smiled a bit.

"I'm fine. Hotohori, your Majesty, you were pretty impressive out there," he said as Hotohori lent a hand out to him.

"No, it was you who was impressive," Hotohori smiled back. "Can you stand?" He asked as Tamahome took his hand before getting up. Nuriko smiled a bit until she saw the broken mirror.

"Sire, look!" Nuriko said as Aika started appearing. They all looked over to see Aika unconscious on the ground, blood on her chest with a kunai lodged in.

"Aika," Hotohori gasped. Tamahome ran over and knelt down, gently picking her upper half up into his arms.

"Aika, please hand in there," he said worried. Hotohori knelt down next to her as well.

"How could she do this?" He asked, worried as well.

"Now that I think about it, that monster in a skirt started bleeding from the exact same place," Nuriko told them. Tamahome's eyes widened slightly.

"So she must have done this in order to rescue us," Tamahome stated as he looked at Aika. "Aika!"

"Open your eyes, Aika!" Hotohori pleaded.

"Aika!" Tamahome tried to wake her up.

"Please, don't leave us!"

"Aika, you have to hang on!"

~0~

Aika slowly opened her eyes, but she didn't see them. Only an area that was like the realm she was just in.

"I hear their voices," she whispered before sitting up. "Where am I? What in the world happened to me?" She asked before remembering. "Oh yeah, I stabbed myself in the chest," she said placed a hand where she had stabbed herself.

~0~

"I didn't expect her to go that far!" The old woman gasped. "I've never seen anything like it before."

~0~

The mist had cleared and now it was clear out.

"Would you listen to me?! Calling her name over and over isn't gonna help her!" Nuriko told the two men.

"Well, what should we do then?" Hotohori demanded.

"First of all, you two turn around please," Nuriko said going up to Aika.

"What'll that do?" Tamahome demanded.

"Look, we need to take her clothes off to treat the wound, right?" Nuriko pointed out.

"But, uh, y-you're a man too, aren't you?" Tamahome asked still surprised by that.

"I'm a woman at heart so I'm the one to treat her," Nuriko said before undoing Aika's sash. He then opened the kimono. "This is worse than I thought it'd be. She really did a number on herself," he mused. He then used his teeth to rip the cloth off his sleeve.

"Wills he be alright?" Hotohori asked him after Nuriko wrapped the cloth around Aika's chest to stop the bleeding.

"She should be. She didn't hit anything vital. Now it's only a question of her own will to live," Nuriko said until the cloth became soaked with blood. "Oh no, the blood isn't stopping! We could still lose her!"

"Aika! Oh, don't give up now, Aika!" Tamahome pleaded.

"Oh please, please, Aika! You can pull through!" Hotohori said desperately.

 _'This is my fault. If I hadn't been so cold to you this wouldn't have happened,'_ Tamahome thought with guilt and sadness.

"Look at her face, it's getting paler," Hotohori said as Tamahome eyes clenched shut. "Nuriko, what should we do for her? What can we do?"

"She needs blood. If only we could give her some, but we have no way of doing that," Nuriko said to him. This only depressed Tamahome more.

~0~

Aika sat there, feeling dazed.

"I can't feel anything at all. I'm so alone here. Am I dying now? Or already dead? I've caused so much pain and trouble in many other people's lives. I've been useless to them. Selfish and greedy," she said to herself, feeling a lump in her throat. She saw a light and looked over to see a vision of a meadow. "It seems so peaceful. Would I be happy and free there?"

"Aika!" Naruto shouted making Aika's eyes widened.

"Aika!" Yui's voice shouted next.

"Naruto! Yui!" Aika called.

~0~

Naruto groaned a bit as he held his chest.

"Aika, where are you now?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know for sure. But I think I'm still in that strange world I disappeared to when we opened that book," Aika replied.

"That's what I thought. Tell me the truth, you're very badly hurt, aren't you?" Naruto asked worried. Yui was putting pressure on his wound in hope to stop the bleeding.

~0~

"Naruto, how did you figure that out?" Aika asked surprised.

"Can't you come back, Aika?" Yui asked desperate. Aika looked down.

"No, it's no use. I don't think I'll ever be able to come back there with you and Naruto again," she said sadly.

~0~

"Why not?" Naruto demanded as he gritted his teeth. "The Aika I know doesn't give up!"

"You have to come back!" Yui shouted.

"Please, Aika! You're my little sister…you have to come back!" Naruto said desperate.

~0~

"Aika!" Tamahome said as he held Aika in his arms.

"I can't even save the life of one young woman," Hotohori said looking away. "Is the power granted an Emperor really so miniscule?"

~0~

"There's gotta be away to get you home, Aika! Please, just don't give up!" Yui told her best friend.

"No, guys….it's too late now," Aika said closing her eyes.

"You think dying would make anyone happy?!" Naruto shouted with anger. "Can't you hear them all? Listen closely! Don't you hear the voices of the people who care so much about you? Like me and Yui! We love you, Aika. Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi love you too! Believe it!" He said surprising Aika.

~0~

"If she needs more blood…" Tamahome's eyes narrowed and he picked up the kunai.

"Then if she must have more blood…" Hotohori agreed as he drew his sword. "I will give you every single drop of blood in my body," he said with determination, the black at his wrist. "So that you will live!" Tamahome aimed the kunai at his own chest.

"I don't care if it costs me my life, just don't leave us, Aika!" Tamahome added. It's then both cut themselves, grunting from the pain as drops of blood fell onto Aika's chest.

~0~

"Aika, live!" Aika heard Hotohori shout.

"Please come back," she heard Tamahome plead.

"Don't give up, Aika!" She heard Nuriko plead next.

"You hear them, Aika? They want you back! You're not just come common villager! You're from the Village Hidden in the Leaves! You have the will of fire! Don't give up!" Naruto shouted. Aika's brown eyes started burning with determination.

"No, I won't! I won't give up!" She said firmly.

~0~

Naruto and Yui smiled at that.

"Oh Aika!" Yui said with relief as she leaned onto Naruto who was grinning like an idiot.

"I'm not going to die!" They both heard Aika say.

~0~

Aika's fingers twitched.

"Look, the bleeding has stopped," Nuriko smiled. Aika's eyes fluttered open to see all three around her.

"Aika?" Tamahome asked.

"Tamahome," Aika said looking to her right. She then looked up. "Hotohori." She then looked to her left. "Nuriko." She looked back at Tamahome before gently cupping his cheek. "I-I'm still alive." Tamahome smiled.

"Yeah," he agreed as Aika's thumb caressed his cheek.

"Tamahome," Aika said, relieved to see him again as she smiled. Tamahome then gently hugged her, surprising the raven haired girl.

"You scared me half to death," he said to her.

"Thank the Gods. What a relief," Hotohori smiled. Nuriko stood up.

"Oh for Heaven's sake, I always knew such a stupid silly girl who's too stubborn for her own good wouldn't die so easily," Nuriko said before sticking his tongue out at Aika.

"Hey! I don't call it stubborn! I have the will of fire, you big bully! Just like the rest of the people in my village do, so ha!" Aika said sticking her tongue out at him. Hotohori chuckled.

"But Nuriko was actually very worried about you too." Aika smiled.

"I know that already. After all, I could hear all three of you and my friends Naruto and Yui. That's why I'm back, why I didn't die. Because of you. So thank you, to all of you," she said hoping Naruto and Yui heard her as well.

~0~

"Through the prayers and efforts of her friends, the life of the Priestess of Suzaku was saved," Yui read.

"I knew it! This means the Priestess of Suzaku is Aika! Believe it!" Naruto grinned.

"The Priestess of Suzaku, with the three Celestial Warriors, found herself at Mount Taikyoku."

~0~

Aika looked at the area with the others.

"Okay, now what the heck is going on?" Aika muttered.

"The scenery just changed," Nuriko replied. There were waterfalls, pagodas, a mountain, and floating purple orbs.

"You have all proven yourselves to me and also to each other," and old woman's voice said. Aika's eyes narrowed.

"I know that voice," she mumbled

"Who's there?" Tamahome demanded.

"I am the one whom you seek," the old woman replied.

"Then this has to be Taikyoku," Hotohori said shocked. Aika looked up the steps and saw a figure.

"You are welcome here, Aika. Or should I say Priestess of Suzaku," the old woman said.

"You are Taiitsukun," Aika stated rather than questioned.

"I have seen how deeply you care for these three of your Celestial Warriors and how they have shown their great loyalty to you as well. I shall tell you now how you can return to your own world."

 **Kida: *Grins* I think I did pretty damn good!**

 **Naruto: I actually had a part in helping Aika! Believe it!**

 **Yui: I did too. Heh *Smiles***

 **Kida: *Glares at Yui* I've watched the anime...You betray your best friend, humph!**

 **Hotohori: But she realizes her mistakes and makes up for it.**

 **Kida: *Sighs* Dammit, do you have to be right? I wanna hit someone with this fan. *Looks at Kido* He'll do. *Hits Kido with paper fan***

 **Kido: x_x**

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please favorite and comment, loves!**


	8. Going Home

**Kida: Yay! The seventh chapter is here, peoples!**

 **Tamahome: Now Aika has to go home...She'll be back, right?**

 **Kida: Don't you worry. You'll have your girlfriend back soon.**

 **Tamahome: *Blushes* She's not my girlfriend!**

 **Kida: *Smirks* Yet.**

 **Taiitsukun: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs.**

 **Kida: Enjoy!**

Lady Aika was entrapped inside a mirror by Taiitsukun, the controller of this world. Tamahome and Hotohori were threatened by her evil imposter and in order to save them, the Lady Aika decided to take her own life. In return, deeply concerned that she might die, Hotohori and Tamahome both spilled their own blood. And then, finally, before them…

"In honor of the great loyalty between you and these first three of your Warriors, I shall tell how to return to your own world," Taiitsukun told them. Taiitsukun appeared. There sat an old tiny woman dressed in robes with long silver hair that had a golden crown in it.

"Is that King Tut's grand mummy?" Tamahome joked until he was slapped upside the head by Aika.

"Learn some manners and respect your elders!" She scolded making Taiitsukun chuckle at the young woman who defended her.

"Wow, you can be abusive," Tamahome said as he rubbed his head.

"If it means getting you to learn some manners, so be it," Aika muttered.

"Uh, h-hi there," Nuriko smiled nervously at Taiitsukun.

"Yeah, what is it?" Taiitsukun raised an eyebrow.

"Are you Taiitsukun?" He asked.

"Yes, I am," Taiitsukun replied making Nuriko's eyes widen.

"Really?" Nuriko blinked.

"I am. I am indeed the controller of this universe," Taiitsukun stated before looking at Hotohori who had his back to her. "Hotohori, what are you doing?"

"I can't stand the sight of anything that is so ugly," Hotohori said bluntly. Taiitsukun summoned a mallet and hit him over the head with it causing a big welt. Aika covered her mouth to stop herself from snickering at the poor guy.

"It's all clear to see that you're all still terribly wounded. I wanted to test you, just to see how willing you were to help one another," Taiitsukun said to all of them. Aika crossed her arms.

"It was all a test. That shadow reflection of me was all your doing?" She asked a little ticked about that.

"Yes, of course. That was my doing," Taiitsukun replied. Aika suddenly grasped her chest and whimpered slightly at the pain.

"Aika?" Tamahome placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her up.

"Stay still or you might start hemorrhaging again," Nuriko said sounding concerned.

"We have to do something," Hotohori stated as the three Warriors looked at the girl with worry.

"Her devotion surprised me. I suppose we have no choice. Let's go to my palace and there we'll discuss this," Taiitsukun before thrusting her hands out. Suddenly the four of them were on some kind of flying carpet making the fly up, all four screaming in surprise. Now they were able to admire the scenery.

"It's so beautiful," Aika said as Tamahome held her.

"So this is Mount Taikyoku," Tamahome mused.

"I hope we don't fall off this rug," Nuriko whined. Aika looked at Taiitsukun who flew beside them. She liked the old woman, but was a little upset about the test. She thought Taiitsukun took a little too far. Taiitsukun chuckled.

"Only those who are chosen to come here are actually able to see the mountain. Evil minded people will only find rocky and barren land if they come anywhere near this area," she laughed.

~0~

"Taiitsukun guided the Priestess of Suzaku and the others to the magnificent palace on top Mount Taikyoku," Yui read as Naruto kept pressure where the blood was.

"Aika. So that means the legendary girl in this story is the long awaited Priestess of Suzaku is Aika! Believe it!" Naruto grinned at Yui. Yui saw something.

"Huh? The boy marked with the ogre symbol on his forehead…Tamahome, I know that's what he calls himself…" she said with a slight blush. She had a crush on a guy she was only reading about!

"I feel the same pain and anguish Aika feels just like the book describes. All those times. But why? Why do things that happen to Aika in the _Book of the Universe of the Four Gods_ affect me as well?" Naruto asked.

"Actually, Naruto…I've been feeling all kinds of pain recently. One time I was soaking wet like I had been swimming through a lake with my clothes on. And now this," Yui moved her coat to reveal a blood stain on her chest. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Yui, why didn't you tell me?!" He asked before getting a cloth out to put pressure on the wound.

"I didn't want to worry you," Yui replied, wincing from the pressure. "So that time I felt like crying, or when my chest was aching…"

"Was when Aika had her feelings hurt. Tamahome had said something that hurt her feelings and it deeply affected her because she loves him," Naruto stated. "Even though you were here before…I wonder why you're being affected by this too."

~0~

All of them were now at the palace. Tamahome, Hotohori, Nuriko, and Aika were looking at Taiitsukun who began to speak.

"First, we will need to attend to your wounds. Nyan-Nyan!" Taiitsukun called. Some pink orbs appeared and popped revealing little girls dressed in pink with mint green hair. "Treat these three immediately."

"Yes, ma'am!" The little girls smiled before running up to do so. "Treating, treating, heal, heal!" They said before going to lead Aika away. Aika smiled a bit at Taiitsukun.

"Taiitsukun, please treat Tamahome and the Emperor before you administer to me. The only reason they're hurt after all, is on my account," she said to her.

"What about you?" Taiitsukun asked her.

"I don't mind waiting," Aika replied. After all, she could try and heal her own wound with Medical Ninjutsu.

"No, no, gotta take you!" The Nyan-Nyan said before going to disrobe her.

"H-hey! Ever hear of a changing curtain?!" Aika blushed darkly.

"You had better be quiet and allow them to treat you or it'll take us even longer to return you to your home," Taiitsukun told the Priestess.

"The reason I wasn't so worried about me is because I can heal myself," Aika stated as she pulled her kimono back on to cover herself. Her hand glowed green and placed it on her chest to heal herself. It didn't heal all the way, but it was good enough. "There we go," she smiled. Taiitsukun was surprised by her ability.

"Oh yes, I forgot you have the abilities to heal others and yourselves with…what's that called again?"

"Medical Ninjutsu," Aika replied.

"Of course," Taiitsukun agreed.

"I can cure you as well," a Nyan-Nyan said to Nuriko. Aika looked over to see Nuriko smile at the child.

"Don't you worry about me, little girl. I'm not even injured."

"I'll fix your perversion," the Nyan-Nyan said making Aika cover her mouth to cover up her snickering. Nuriko then punched the Nyan-Nyan, sending her flying.

"Now, now, Nuriko. No need to be so violent," Aika said with a timid laugh. _'He really reminds me of Sakura,'_ she thought.

"I fear that this method of returning you to your own world is too dangerous to try while you're all so weak," Taiitsukun said to everyone.

"Taiitsukun's face needs treatment too," Nyan-Nyan said making Aika bit her lip to keep her from snickering.

"Yeah!" Another agreed. Taiitsukun used the mallet to hit them out of the palace.

"I know I'm asking a lot, Taiitsukun. But I need to go home. I want to reassure my friends that I'm alright," Aika said to her. All she was wearing now was her kimono top over her bra and panties. The Nyan-Nyans would give her the sash, leggings, or boots back.

"That's nonsense, I'm afraid you've lost too much blood. And you appear far too fragile. I doubt you have any reserved strength at all. None," Taiitsukun said.

"You know, calling someone weak can be pretty offensive," Aika muttered, hating being called weak.

"Please, why can't she take blood from me, Taiitsukun?" Hotohori asked as his arm was being treated. Tamahome walked up as well after having his chest wound treated.

"From both of us. Take some of our blood and then give it Aika," he agreed.

"No, please don't. I don't want you two getting any more hurt than you already are," Aika said to them.

"Are you sure about this?" Taiitsukun asked the two men. "I can do it, but it will cut your powers in half."

"Anything to help her," Hotohori replied with a smile. Tamahome smile and pat the Nyan-Nyan's head as she cleaned his wound.

"My blood's already pouring out. So why not use it?" He said with a closed eye smile.

"Hotohori…Tamahome…" Aika whispered surprised.

"Very well then," Taiitsukun said to the men before looking at Aika. "Are you alright with this?" Aika sighed a bit.

"Just as long as they don't become too weakened then I can deal with any pain you give me," she replied. Nuriko walked up.

"What about my blood?"

"Save it," Taiitsukun replied angering the purple haired man.

"Why do I get the feeling I've been insulted?" He muttered.

"Hotohori, Tamahome, I will now use my powers to transfer some of your blood to Aika. Kneel down," Taiitsukun ordered. The two men knelt down and Taiitsukun began chanting until the two men were in green orbs. "I will perform a blood transfusion through these spheres into Aika's open wound."

"What open wound?" Tamahome asked.

"This one," Aika said using a kunai to slice her old wound open a bit.

"Aika!" The two men exclaimed.

"Trust me, this is nothing, guys," Aika smiled a bit at their worry.

"Prepare yourself, Aika. This'll be painful for all of you, but you must try to bear with it," Taiitsukun said before she started. Tamahome and Hotohori began feeling searing pain and did their best not to make any noise, knowing it would worry Aika. Aika was watching them with worry though.

 _'Tamahome…Hotohori…you have done enough,'_ she thought. "ENOUGH!" She shouted until she suddenly felt something. "I-I feel warm." _'I can feel their blood flowing through me. Their blood is mixing with mine…like a blood bond. They're a part of me now,'_ she thought to herself.

~0~

"Now within the body of the Priestess of Suzaku, the blood of Tamahome and Hotohori pulses together," Yui read.

"The pain I had is fading away now," Naruto said looking down at his chest.

"Mine too," Yui agreed. She may not have shown she was in pain, but she had it. The blood stains disappeared. "And the blood's gone too!"

~0~

Aika's wound was completely healed then.

"Done. That is enough," Taiitsukun said making the spheres disappear. "You all bore up very admirably. I am impressed."

"Here's your sash," a Nyan-Nyan said to Aika, tying her sash on.

"And your black things," another said putting on her leggings for her. Aika smiled.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," she said before looking at Tamahome and Hotohori who were smiling at her. "Hotohori, Tamahome, are you alright?" She asked concerned. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to cause all that pain just to help me," she remembering their pained faces.

"It's all right, as long as it helped you get well," Tamahome assured with a smile.

"Oh good grief. You should be smothering them with kisses, Aika. You owe these two a lot," Nuriko said to the girl. Aika let out a soft chuckle.

"All right then, now that the Priestess of Suzaku has recovered, I will proceed to explain to you how you can get home," Taiitsukun said getting the brown eyed girl's attention.

"Well, I'm all ears," Aika replied.

"Do you understand, Priestess of Suzaku that you have remained in this world too long? Opening the channel that allows your return will not be as easy as when you first arrived," Taiitsukun said as Aika and the three Warriors knelt down.

"I understand and I'll do what I can, but how can the channel be opened in my realm?" Aika asked her.

"After first your strong will alone would have been enough to take you home without delay," Taiitsukun stated.

"If my will power is strong enough now then what must I do?" Aika asked.

"There is something here which connects this world with your own. You must discover what that is," Taiitsukun replied.

"Hmm…something that connects both worlds," Aika thought to herself.

"Mhmm, that they have in common that exists both here and in your own world," Taiitsukun stated.

 _'This might be harder than I thought. Something that exists both here and in my own world…'_

~0~

"Something that is there that is also here," Yui read before looking at Naruto. Naruto then looked at their pouches.

~0~

"Of course!" Aika exclaimed before taking the kunai out from behind her sash. "Yui and Naruto have kunais too!" She smiled.

~0~

"Oh yeah, Aika does have one like this now because of when she saw her mother!" Yui smiled as she and Naruto each took a kunai out of their pouches.

"Kunai knives!" Both Yui, Naruto, and Aika said at the same time.

"So then that's the connection, and the reason why things happen to us too! Believe it!" Naruto grinned.

~0~

"It also requires a strong connection through your emotions and your will power," Taiitsukun said.

 _'A connection through emotions,'_ Aika thought to herself as she looked at the kunai.

~0~

"Aika! We're here! With you!" Yui called to her.

"Please come back! Aika!" Naruto called as well.

~0~

Aika's head snapped up when she heard their voices. She stood up as she held the kunai close.

"Yui! Naruto!" She smiled. "We are connected. Strongly, deeply," she stated as she looked at the kunai. _'A weapon from my mother then the connection with my best friends. We use kunais as a weapon to protect. And we would protect each other no matter what.'_

"To be honest, it would be an easy matter to return the Priestess if we had the life energy of all seven of Suzaku's Warriors to call upon. Hotohori, Tamahome, Nuriko, the power of only three of you may not be enough. And except for Nuriko, you're all injured," Taiitsukun stated.

"It'll be alright. I'm up for it," Tamahome said.

"And I'll do it. I swear I'll get her home," Hotohori vowed.

"Relax, Aika. Count me in! Haven't I been a good girl lately?" Nuriko smiled. Aika smiled brightly at them. Aika hugged him. Nuriko smiled as he hugged her back.

"Yeah….Thank you all so much," she said as tears pricked her eyes before she pulled away. Tamahome placed a hand on her head making her look at him.

"Just promise that you'll come back again. We will all be waiting," he smiled. Aika frowned slightly as she realized.

 _'Oh right, once I go back to my own world, I won't be able to see any of you. Especially you, Tamahome,'_ she thought sadly. She mustered up a smile to make it look like she wasn't upset.

"Well, let's begin. You will all gather around the Priestess of Suzaku," Taiitsukun said as Aika knelt down to the floor. Nuriko, Tamahome, and Hotohori sat around her, cross-legged and concentrating. "Concentrate your life force into her. Aika, visualize your world inside your mind and heart. Focus on it and concentrate. Feel the life energy in everyone here and take it into yourself." Aika closed her eyes and concentrated. She let a stray tear fall as she thought about going back to her home world. She thought about home, her friends, the ones she thought of as family.

 _"Aika, come on! Do it!"_ Yui's voice echoed in her head.

 _"You can do it, Aika! Believe it!"_ Naruto told her next.

 _"Think about us and this world here!"_ Yui added.

 _"Think of just me and Yui! Think of how we all first met! We all made a promise, remember? When I became Hokage, you two would be right there with me! Helping me all the way! We would all make the decisions together!"_ Naruto told her. Aika thought back to the day they met. Aika was playing at the playgrounds, her parents watching her. Aika suddenly saw some kids picking on a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes who seemed to be a few years older than her. She had run over and starting trying to get the other kids to back off. That's when a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes showed up and helped her. That was when they met Naruto and all became friends.

 _"We made that promise and we will stick to it. We're going to do this. TOGETHER!"_ Naruto and Yui shouted. Aika then remembered when she was upset. The day her mother died, Naruto and Yui were right there. They held her as she cried. The same thing with her father. She then thought to Ichiraku's where she and Yui laughed when Naruto scarfed down twenty bowls of ramen. Then when it came to Naruto pulling a prank to make Aika and Yui laugh which happened to work. He just grinned, even as he was being scolded.

 _'Home. I'm going home. To the others and everything I know. Back to my own world!'_ Aika thought.

 _"AIKA!"_ Naruto and Yui shouted before Aika was covered in red light. Aika suddenly felt warm, just like she did when she first came into the book. She could finally go home, where she belonged. She opened her eyes to see a light. Suddenly a blue light shot down passed her.

~0~

Naruto covered his eyes with his arm as he saw a glowing red light. He opened his eyes and suddenly saw Aika laying on the ground. Naruto grinned and gently shook her.

"Aika! Wake up! You're home! Believe it!" He said to her. Aika woke up and saw her knuckleheaded friend. She grinned and hugged him.

"Naruto!" She cried, tears streaming down her face as she held him tightly. Her eyes snapped open. "Yui? Where's Yui?" She asked. Naruto frowned and looked around.

"I don't know. She was just next to me," he said to her. "Yui!" He called.

"Yui, where are you?" Aika called. Naruto sighed a bit.

"Maybe she transported out," he shrugged.

"I don't think she would do that after something like this, Naruto," Aika said as her friend helped her up. Naruto looked at the clock.

"Well, it is late. The library's about to close," he told her. "Maybe Yui went home. After all, we've been here all day."

"Wait a minute, how long have I been gone?" Aika asked.

"Two hours. We got here around noon and its two now," Naruto said to her.

"Two hours? I was gone for a few days. I guess time moves faster in the book," Aika mused.

"Let's go see if Yui's at your place. You know when she's worried about you. She'll try and have everything ready for you," Naruto smiled at her. Aika smiled a bit. That does sound like Yui. She nodded and picked up the book before they left the library.

"Don't tell me it took you two hours to get my book," a man said. Aika and Naruto looked over to see Kakashi.

"Oh! Uh, well…you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Naruto said handing his old Sensei the book.

"After all I've seen, I'll believe just about anything," Kakashi retorted. Aika and Naruto shared a look before looking back at the Sixth Hokage.

"Then you should get Sakura, Sasuke, Sai, and Yamato to my house. We can all talk there and I'll tell you everything that happened," she said to him. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"On a scale of one to ten, how big of a surprise are we in for?" He asked.

"One to ten? I have to say….about a thousand," Aika replied making the silver haired man blink.

"Okay, I'll go get the others," he said.

"And we better get you home," Naruto said to her. He then started taking her back home. Once there they didn't see Yui.

"Odd, she's not here," Aika frowned.

"And my clone didn't see Yui are her house or my apartment," Naruto frowned as well.

"Yui…just where are you?" Aika whispered with worry. Soon the door opened and Aika turned to see Sasuke and Sakura. She smiled and hugged them. "I've missed you all so much!" She said surprising the two.

"Aika, we just saw you yesterday," Sasuke said as the girl pulled away.

"Oh, right, uh…well, you're about to learn why I missed you all so much," Aika said with a sheepish smile. Aika made some tea for everyone who took a seat in the living room. She handed out the cups of tea before taking a seat with her own cup. "What I'm about to tell you guys is going to surprise you so much you won't believe it."

 **Kida: *Looks around* Hey, Yui, where'd ya go?**

 **Naruto: Yui? Yui! YUI, WHERE ARE YOU!**

 **Kida: NARUTO! I'VE TOLD YOU NOT TO SHOUT SO DAMN LOUD!**

 **Naruto: *Shrinks back* But you're shouting.**

 **Kida: I'M THE DAMN AUTHOR! I'LL SHOUT WHENEVER I WANT!**

 **Hotohori: While Kida shouts at Naruto, please favorite and comment. We hope you've enjoyed the story!**


	9. Brief Parting

**Kida: *Looks at Tamahome* Dude, get out of your damn slump.**

 **Tamahome: *Sits there in the corner, poking a wall***

 **Naruto: *Sweat-drops* Wow, he must really love Aika to be acting like this.**

 **Kida: Yeah...he actually chewed on one of my plates earlier. Anyways, Nuriko! Go for it!**

 **Nuriko: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs. Enojy!**

In order to help her recover from her self-inflicted wound, Taiitsukun the controller transfused blood from Hotohori and Tamahome into the injured Lady Aika. Realizing that the kunais formed a link between their world and this one, the Lady Aika, Yui, and Naruto concentrated their efforts and opened the channel between the two worlds. Lady Aika was finally able to return to her own world. However, once there, she and Naruto discovered that their best friend Yui…

"Yui…just where are you?" Aika whispered with worry. Was nowhere to be found. Aika sighed a bit, hoping Yui was alright. "Did you talk to her mother at all?" She asked Naruto.

"Yeah, Mrs. Hongo said Yui hasn't been there almost all day. She thought Yui had been with us," Naruto said to her.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sai asked looking between the two. Aika started at the cup of tea for a moment before looking at them.

"What I'm about you tell you is going to be very shocking. All I ask is that you trust and believe me when I tell you," she said to them.

"Aika, you've never lied to us before so we know you won't lie to us now," Sakura assured.

"Alright," Aika nodded. She took out the book she and Naruto had found at the library before showing them. "This book is known as the _Book of the Universe of the Four Gods_. Those four Gods are Suzaku, Seiryuu, Byakko, and Genbu. Somehow, I was sucked into the book when Naruto and I began reading it. When I was first there I was in a desert and I thought I was in the Sand Village. Suddenly some slave traders tried to take me. I fought back, but I guess I wasn't strong enough. Then a boy with dark blue hair and lavender eyes showed up, fighting the two slave traders off. He also had a symbol of the ogre on his forehead. His name is Tamahome. I followed him to a place called the Konan Empire then I lost him. I tried looking for him until I needed to take a break.

"This one guy then had me come with him, telling me he was a friend of Tamahome's. Unfortunately, I was wrong. He and some others wanted me for other reasons. I used Taijutsu like Rock Lee taught me and took them down. At least until one pulled me down and….well, that's when Tamahome showed up and saved me again. I told him about who I was and he said he would help me get home.

"That's when there was a small parade for the ruler they call and Emperor. I tried to save a woman who was being mugged until the Emperor's guards thought I was a threat. Once again, Tamahome saved me, at least until something weird happened and it involved a red light. The Emperor ordered to have us thrown in jail. I managed to get me and Tamahome out by using the transformation jutsu. We tried to find a way out and I learned about the four Gods.

"Then my stomach kinda took over and made me go to a kitchen seeing as I hadn't eaten in an entire day there. I left the kitchen then was lost. Once outside, I met the Emperor Hotohori who helped me and Tamahome before telling me I'm the Priestess of Suzaku. A girl of legend whose dreams came true," Aika explained.

"Tamahome? Hotohori? Priestess? How the hell are you coming up with this?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't think she's making this up. The detail she's giving in the course of only two hours from what Naruto told me, she's telling the truth," Yamato stated. Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"It's all really hard to believe, but I can tell you're not making this up," Kakashi said to Aika who gave a small smile in thanks. "Continue."

"Right. Well, after all that happened, I learned there were more warriors I needed to find. So we gathered anyone who specialized in literature and martial arts. Tamahome ended up kicking their asses until I tried to test the men into attacking me. When they did, I ran to a pagoda that ended up being destroyed and crumbled down on me. Tamahome saved me from being crushed, but got injured himself. It's then a woman named Kourin showed up and got us out with this amazing strength she had. She turned out to be another warrior named Nuriko. She hated me at first seeing as Hotohori seemed to be in love with me. So she wanted to get revenge and went after Tamahome who…I happen to like," Aika blushed.

"Oh, is he really cute?" Sakura asked smiling.

"Sakura…" Sasuke sighed.

"Well, he is really handsome. I'll have to make sure to take a camera when I go back so I can take a picture of them," Aika smiled back at her. "Anyways after a little incident with Nuriko, it turned out that Tamahome was upset and I followed him out of the palace when he went to go sell some things I gave him. He has an obsession with money. He ended up trying act as my agent until we were overcrowded and got out of there.

"Some guys tried to attack us and Tamahome fought. I helped him a bit too. Tamahome still seemed to be upset with me and I wanted to know why. I then slipped up and told him I loved him. He said he didn't love me and I ended up getting sick. It turned out the stress and fatigue got to me of being in a new place. Cultural change. So Hotohori suggested we all travel to go see the controller of the universe Taiitsukun. We got into a bit of trouble there when it started becoming misty. Tamahome ended up pissing me off and I ran off to go clear my head. It's then I smelled perfume that smelled like my mothers."

"Strawberries, cherry blossoms, and vanilla," Naruto remembered making Aika nod.

"Yeah. It turned out to be a trap and I was in another realm where I encountered my…darker half of my heart. This other Aika reminded me of someone I knew when I was younger," Aika said keeping her eyes off Sasuke who frowned.

"How did she remind you of me?" He asked her. He knew she was talking about him.

"She….she wanted revenge on those who killed my mother. She was cold, sinister. While being trapped in a mirror, she tried being me. She told Hotohori she loved him while I was desperately trying to get them to see she wasn't me. When Hotohori and Tamahome found out, they tried to fight against her. She did something to try and drain them of their strength. I then figured out a way to kill her. To kill her…I had to kill myself. I took a kunai from my mother's pouch and stabbed myself in the chest, making sure to miss my heart.

"Nuriko, who I had found out was really a man, killed the fake Aika and I came back to the real world. While I seemed to be in limbo, I could hear Tamahome, Hotohori, Nuriko, Naruto, and Yui trying to call me back. Naruto and Yui got through to me and I woke up to learn that Tamahome and Hotohori injured themselves to give me blood. That's when we were taken to Taiitsukun who told me it was all a test to see if I was really the Priestess of Suzaku. After we were all patched up, we learned I was apparently too weak to get back on my own.

"Taiitsukun performed a blood transfusion on me using Tamahome's and Hotohori's blood. I was then strong enough to go home. I then learned that I needed some kind of object to link me to both worlds. It turned out to be the kunais. Me, Naruto, and Yui each had a kunai so it helped with the link. I was then brought back home only to learn Yui had gone missing. And now, here we are," Aika finished explaining.

"All of this happened within the course of two hours?" Sai blinked.

"Surprising, huh?" Aika smiled a bit.

"Well, if what you say is true then that book is dangerous, Aika," Kakashi stated.

"Yeah, that story you told us is like a magic spell itself, right?" Sasuke asked. "It's the same way a scroll from the Sage of the Six Path's can be translated into a story. But this _Book of the Universe of the Four Gods_ doesn't seem to be like those scrolls. It could be more like a book of sorcery."

"Sorcery, huh?" Aika asked interested.

"Yeah, kinda like a book of spells. I remember reading a book about that kind of thing. If that spell is as old as you say it is, Aika, it may have very strong magical power which could make it very dangerous," Sakura said to her.

"Dangerous?" Aika whispered with a frown as she thought of Tamahome.

"And any wish you make on it will probably involve some sort of sacrifice," Sai said.

"Sacrifice?! I don't think so," Aika said to him. She didn't want to think of sacrifice!

"It makes sense, Aika. Think of the devil. You ask something of him then he'll demand a sacrifice," Kakashi said to her.

"Okay, now you're all pulling my leg because you don't believe me," Aika muttered.

"Hey! I believe you! I was there with you! Well, I read it-but I saw it all with my own eyes! Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Okay, Naruto believes. Anyway, Tamahome and the others weren't dangerous at all," Aika said firmly.

 _"Aika,"_ Tamahome's voice echoed in her head.

"You're just letting yourself get side tracked," Yamato said making Aika look at him questioningly. "Your shop. If your parents knew you were wasting your time with some story and now working on that shop that you've put years of labor into. How would they react?"

"Hey! What do you know about her parents?! I happen to think they would be proud of her becoming a Priestess!" Naruto glared at him.

"She's not a Priestess! Maybe you two fell asleep in the library and ended up dreaming this whole thing," Yamato said to him. Kakashi sighed and looked at Aika.

"Just promise you won't go near that book again, okay?" He asked before Aika looked down. He placed a hand on her head. "Hey, it's probably nothing. Like Yamato said, it was probably just a dream."

"One that Naruto and I dreamed at the same time? Kakashi, I know what I saw was real. Please, you have to believe me," Aika frowned at him. Soon he, Yamato, Sai, Sasuke, and Sakura left. _'Even if I promised not to read anymore of the book…'_

 _"Promise you'll come back, Aika,"_ Tamahome's face flashed through her head.

"I just can't forget," she whispered. Naruto went up to her with a frown and pulled her into his arms with a sigh.

"Hey, we'll get through this. They may not believe you yet, but they will. I promise," Naruto said to her. Aika smiled a bit as her head rested on his chest.

"Thanks, Naruto. Hey, Naruto?"

"Hm?"

"Can you maybe train me? I want to be able to help the others so they don't have to worry so much," she said to him. Naruto grinned.

"No problem!" He agreed. Suddenly a black cat ran out and up onto Aika's shoulders. Aika giggled.

"Hello, Niko," she greeted as she pet the purring cat. Naruto pet the cat.

"You know, it's weird how Niko seems to be the only cat that likes me," he muttered making Aika giggled. "Come on. Let's do a little training before getting some rest. It's still early," he said to her. Aika nodded and set Niko down on the couch before leaving with Naruto after grabbing some weapons. Naruto started training her with some Taijutsu first to see how far she was. After that they practiced Ninjutsu. Turns out her two elements are fire and lightning.

"Naruto, you know I'll have to go back. I promised not only Tamahome, but Taiitsukun, Nuriko, and Hotohori," Aika said as they training.

"I know. I just wish I could come with you. I wish I could be one of your warriors so I could keep you safe," Naruto replied.

"You have other things to worry about. You're training to become Hokage, then you have to take care of Hinata, then you also have your own students. You can't just focus on helping me," Aika pointed out as they stopped, panting.

"Aika, if there's anything your parents taught me, it's that family comes first. You're my family, my little sister. So you're just gonna have to put up with me," Naruto said to her before they went back to sparing. Aika couldn't help but smile a little.

"Thank you, big brother," she whispered. Soon they were done with training and went back into Aika's house. Naruto had to go and let Hinata know that he would be staying with Aika for a bit to help her out. Aika was in her room, at her desk. She took out her notebook and wrote Tamahome's name. "Tamahome," she whispered. She thought of him then Nuriko, and then Hotohori.

"Aika?" She heard. She looked up to see Tamahome beside her. "Hey, what's wrong? Aika?" He asked smiling. Aika smiled.

"Tamahome." She went to cup his cheek until he disappeared. "Tamahome…." She murmured before looking down. "Stupid, you know Tamahome can't come here like that. He'll never be able to come here. He's not a part of this world," she said before feeling tears in her eyes. _'No matter how much I miss him or love him, he only exists inside that book.'_

 _"Just promise you won't go near that book again, okay?"_ Kakashi had asked.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. But I want to see him and the others again. I want to go back into that book…it's the only place where I feel like I belong. The place where I feel I can be useful," Aika said before she gasped. "The _Book of the Universe of the Four Gods_. Could she be? Oh no, don't tell me Yui was sucked into that book now!"

 _"Aika!"_ Yui's voice rang through her head. Aika heard the door.

"Hey, Aika! Where are you?" Naruto called.

"Naruto!" Aika shouted before he ran into her room. "Y-Yui! I-I think she's in the book now!" She said making his eyes widen.

"Are you sure?" He asked her.

"Yes! I can feel it in my gut!" She stated before picking up the book. "I can just feel that she's in here. I don't know how, but I can. Naruto, I need to go back there, now!" Aika said with determination in her eyes. She ran to the bathroom where she took a shower, getting cleaned up.

"What if something goes wrong and you both can't get out, huh?" Naruto pointed out as he kept his back turned when she came out and went to get dressed.

"I'll find a way to get Yui out," Aika said simply.

"But what about you?" Naruto asked.

"I don't care about me, Naruto! Yui doesn't belong there. I didn't mean for her to get sucked into this, literally," Aika said as she finished. Naruto turned and saw her dressed in her mother's old outfit. It was the clouded fishnet tank top with a black mini skirt, dark red thigh-high leggings, over the knee boots that were black with a red stripe on the outside, a long vest jacket that was red with gold trimmings, red fingerless fishnet arm warmers that mainly just cover her forearm and palm, then a red belt that held her shuriken, kunai, and medicine pouches. On her thigh was her kunai and senbon holder. Aika kept her hair down like normal.

"Aika…you look just like her," Naruto said with a sad smile. Aika returned it.

"If only I had brown hair, huh?" She asked before putting some extra clothes in a bag. She then went to the kitchen and put some snack foods in there before putting in the necessities and a camera. "All ready to go," she said to him. Naruto sighed a bit and nodded before grabbing the book. He handed it to her and she smiled at him. "Tell the others I'm sorry, but I have to do this. I won't be able to rest until I've reach the last word of this book. See you later!" She said before the book glowed red. "Just hang on, Yui. I'm coming. Tamahome!" It's then she disappeared and Naruto caught the book.

"Be careful, Aika," Naruto said as he stared at the book.

~0~

At the palace, Hotohori was sitting at the edge of a long table, his councilors there as well.

"What are we going to do?"

"To think it's come to this."

"Your Highness, you know we have done nothing to invite this aggression."

"For the past few years, Konan has been peaceful and quiet."

"Yes, maybe too quiet," a guy said. Hotohori rubbed his forehead.

"But…" suddenly there was a red glow making his eyes widen.

"Look out!" A woman shouted. Hotohori looked up and suddenly Aika landed in his arms. She smiled. "Sorry about that, Hotohori."

"Aika!"

"It's the Priestess! We're saved! The Priestess of Suzaku" The councilors smiled. Aika gave a shy smile as she got up.

"Hey, guys. I'm back and-." She was suddenly pulled into Hotohori's arms.

"I have missed you so much," Hotohori whispered in relief.

 _'Hotohori…Why is he happy to see me?'_ Aika blushed slightly before relaxing from the unexpected hug. She then learned why he missed her so much. "What?! It's been three months since I left here?!" She asked surprised.

"Yes. Time flies like an arrow, doesn't it?" Hotohori smiled.

"Well, actually, when I got back home after I left here…" Aika thought back to when she was home. _"I've missed you all so much!" She said surprising Sakura and Sasuke as she hugged them._

 _"Aika, we just saw you yesterday," Sasuke said._

"Times must pass at different speeds here and at home," Aika mused.

"While you were gone, many troubles have befallen the Empire," Hotohori stated.

"Troubles? What kind of troubles?" Aika asked, eyes narrowed in concern.

"Aika, we must ask a favor of you. The Priestess of Suzaku. As Emperor, I must ask you to find the remaining four Celestial Warriors at once," Hotohori said to her as she took off her back pack. "Battalions of Kutou's soldiers are gathering at the countries border."

"What for?" Aika asked him.

"Kutou has wanted Konan's land for a very long time," Hotohori replied.

 _'If it's not one problem then it's another! If Yui gets caught in this then who knows what kind of trouble she'll get into! She has no fighting experience at all. If she ever saw fighting then it was when I was training with the others,'_ Aika thought panicked. "I'm sorry to ask, Hotohori, but have you seem a girl who dresses in a similar fashion to me? She has short blond hair and blue eyes."

"No, nothing. Who is she, Aika?" Hotohori asked her.

"She's my friend Yui," she replied. Hotohori grasped her by her shoulders.

"Aika, once we find all seven Celestial Warriors, you can invoke the power of Suzaku and save the Konan Empire," he told her.

 _"The power of Suzaku. Of course! Once I gather all seven Celestial Warriors, I can summon Suzaku and have any wish granted. If I can do that then I can find Yui, help her, and also help the Konan Empire,'_ she thought. She nodded to Hotohori. "You can't count on me," she said before running off to go find Nuriko and Tamahome. _'First of all, I'll go see Tamahome and ask him to go with me.'_

"Aika?" A familiar voice called. Aika stopped and turned to see purple hair and brown eyes. "It's you!" Nuriko smiled before the two hugged with big smiles.

"Nuriko, I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, Aika!" Nuriko smiled as they pulled away.

"Oh, by the way, have you seem Tamahome?" Aika asked curious.

"Tamahome isn't here anymore," Nuriko replied. "He just left a few days ago. He said he had to earn some money and then go visit his family."

"I see. Well, family is important," Aika smiled a bit in understanding. "But still, that's not going to stop me from going to look for him," she stated.

"No worries, I'll come with you and help," Nuriko said before changing and going to see Hotohori.

"Hotohori, I'm going to go find Tamahome. I'm going to need his help," Aika stated.

"You're going to look for Tamahome?" Hotohori repeated surprised.

"Yup."

"All by yourself?"

"Well, Nuriko volunteered to come with me," Aika smiled before looking at Nuriko who was dressed in male clothing, his hair tied in a braid over his shoulder.

"Nuriko?" Hotohori blinked.

"That's right. Dressed as a male, you almost didn't recognize Nuriko, did you? I have admit, Nuriko, you can pull off male and female looks," Aika said. Nuriko smiled a bit.

"Well, I'm sure it'll draw less attention if I dress this way," he said to her. Hotohori didn't seem to like it too much and sighed.

"We've received reports that Kutou spies have infiltrated the region. Be careful," he said.

"Is that-?" Aika saw the scroll in Hotohori's hand.

"Suzaku's universe of the four Gods. The only item we have with any clues to help you find the remaining Celestial Warriors. I'm sure Taiitsukun won't mind if I give it to you. The Priestess of Suzaku." He said to them before they left. Aika wore the wrap again as she rode behind Nuriko on the horse.

"By the way, I never asked about your outfit," Nuriko said.

"Oh, it was my mother's. I wanted to be able to be more suitable for fighting," Aika told her.

"Fighting? Aika, you don't need to do that."

"Yes, I do. I don't want to be useless to all of you. Tamahome and Hotohori got hurt because I was weak. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me again," Aika said to him. Nuriko sighed.

"How about unless we say, then you can fight. Just be careful," he said to her.

"I promise!" Aika smiled. She then began thinking about Tamahome. _'Why is Tamahome thinking about money at a time like this?'_ "It's been too long."

"Yeah, three months! But you made it back! Tamakins will be real happy!" Nuriko told her.

"What do you mean, Nuriko?"

"After you left Tamahome just sort of lost it and wondered around all the time in a daze," Nuriko said as he remembered. Tamahome sitting on the railing with a bird's nest on his head. Then at the dining table with Tamahome eating a plate. _"That's a plate, Tamakins,"_ Nuriko had said. Nuriko chuckled. "I wish you could have seen it."

"Really?"

"So quit your worrying!"

"Hey! I'm not worrying!" Aika said stubbornly.

"Tamahome is in love with you!"

"No he's not! He told me himself he didn't feel that way at all."

"That's only because he didn't realize it at the time," Nuriko stated before his eyes narrowed. "I've never seen it get so dark so quickly before."

"Neither have I. It's getting darker and darker," Aika stated scanning the area.

"Straight into pitch black."

"Are we going the right way?" Aika asked until the horse bucked up making Aika fall off.

"Are you alright?" Nuriko asked as soon as he got control of the horse.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Aika replied until there was figure standing over her with a scythe. "Hey! What's the big idea, pal?" Aika glared as she got kunai ready for an attack.

"Tell me what you're doing here!" The man demanded.

"That voice sounds like…" Aika's eyes widened. Another man walked up with a torch and revealed Tamahome.

"Aika," Tamahome said surprised as she stood up.

"Tamahome," Aika said surprised as well. Tamahome brought a hand up and caressed her cheek before cupping her face with both.

"Aika, can it really be you? These last three lonely months have felt more like a thousand years to me," Tamahome said before smiling. Aika felt tears prick her eyes that were too stubborn to call as she placed her hands on his, her cheeks having a light blush on them.

"Tamahome, I've missed you so much," Aika smiled before hugging him tightly. Tamahome hugged her back just as tight.

"I've missed you too, Aika," he said as he rested a hand on the back of her head to keep her there. Aika listened to his heartbeat making her smile more. She missed everything about him. His voice, his warmth, and his heartbeat. They soon pulled back. "So, are you feeling better?" He smiled as he wiped the tears away from her eyes that were threatening to spill over.

"Yeah, I am," Aika replied with a smile before Nuriko cleared his throat. The two then realized people were watching making them blush and jump apart.

"Tamahome, who are these people?" A man asked. Tamahome smiled and placed a hand on Aika's head.

"This is Aika, Priestess of Suzaku. And this guy's gay," Tamahome said jabbing his thumb at Nuriko. Nuriko squawked at that and punched him over the head. "Actually, he's Nuriko, one of the Suzaku Seven just like me."

"Hi," Nuriko smiled at everyone. Tamahome turned to Aika.

"Everyone's afraid of the Kutou army and there have been reports about a lot of suspicious people showing up lately in this vicinity. So, I hired myself out to protect this village. Heh, as long as I'm around everything is safe and sound," he said smiling. Aika smiled back.

 _'Tamahome hasn't changed a bit,'_ she thought until the fire suddenly went out.

"What happened?!"

"The flame went out, but there's no wind!"

"Light a torch, quickly!" Tamahome ordered. Suddenly there were hands covering Aika's mouth. Aika fought to get free.

~0~

Naruto sat on the bed and read the book.

"Disembodied hands reached out from the darkness and carried off the Priestess of Suzaku."

~0~

Aika screamed from behind the hands as she was carried away.

"Aika!" Tamahome cried out.

 **Kida: *Blinkes* Wow, two chapters written in one day...I'm so fudging proud of myself!**

 **Naruto: It's only two chapters.**

 **Kida: *Glares* Call me a nerd, but it's a big deal to me! The only time I seem to have patience is when writing my stories!**

 **Tamahome: She's got you there, Naruto.**

 **Kida: *Grins* You're finally out of your slump! Good, you'll stop eating my plates now. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please favorite and comment!**


	10. Enemies Unseen

**Kida: A new chapter! I hope you all like it!**

 **Naruto: I did, it has more action in it!**

 **Kida: *Hits him over the head with paper fan* Would you not give away any spoilers?!**

 **Tamahome: Don't most of the chapters have action in it?**

 **Kida: Yes, but Naruto's a big mouth and would probably tell more about it before people got to read it!**

 **Tamahome: True. Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs. Enjoy!**

The Lady Aika, Priestess of Suzaku, had finally returned to her home. But even though she was back in the ninja world, she and Naruto could not find their friend Yui. Lady Aika came to realize that Yui must have somehow taken her place, falling into the book. Falling into the _Universe of the Four Gods_ and into the other world. Concerned for her best friend's safety, Lady Aika returned through the book to go after her. She learned that in the short time she had been gone three months had passed in the world of the book and Kutou was preparing to invade the Konan Empire. When the Emperor asked her to find the Suzaku Seven, Lady Aika and Nuriko set out to find Tamahome.

"What's the big idea, pal?!" Aika glared as she got kunai ready for an attack. Suddenly a man with a torch walked up. "Tamahome?"

"Aika," Tamahome said relieved. But before she knew what was happening, the Lady Aika was pulled away into the night. Aika screamed behind the hand as she struggled to get away. "Aika!" Tamahome screamed before going after her. Nuriko was about to follow until he saw something and turned to see two bright lights coming at him and the men. Tamahome hadn't noticed and kept running until he reached an area, looking around. "They disappeared," he panted.

~0~

 _'Okay! That's it! I've had it!'_ Aika thought before opening her mouth and sinking her teeth into the hand.

"OW!" The man shouted before letting her go. Aika was let go and turned with a kunai in hand. She then saw it was a monk with light blue hair dressed in traveling attire.

"That really hurt, ya know," he said to her before blowing on his hand. Aika glared.

 _'Just who is this guy?'_ She thought to herself as she kept her kunai ready for attack.

"What a healthy bite you have there, Priestess of Suzaku. I should have asked you before I rescued you from the Kutou warriors, ya know," he said to her. Aika sweat-dropped with a WTF look on her face.

"What the-?" She went to ask until she saw him kneel down and putting his straw hat on.

"Don't let them catch you off guard, Priestess!" He said before disappearing under the hat. Aika blinked at that. She picked the hat up.

"Well, I'll be damned," she said looking over the hat. "He vanished without a trace…if you don't include the hat that is," she muttered to herself. Magic, what a strange concept. "And I didn't even bother to ask for his name," she added. _'And here he thought I was in danger and tried to rescue me…good intentions, bad observation.'_

"Aika!" Tamahome said appearing. Aika turned and saw him.

"Tamahome," she said with relief.

"Are you alright?" He asked worried. Aika nodded as she stood up.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied before looking at the hat. _'Just who are these guys and why do they want me?'_ She thought to herself. They suddenly heard a blood curdling scream from Nuriko making the hair on the back of Aika's neck stand up. Aika put the hat on around her neck before she and Tamahome ran to where they heard Nuriko's scream. They made it there to see Nuriko pinned against a tree, panicked with arrows around him. Tamahome and Aika gasped when they saw all the men dead from the arrows in them. "Oh my…god…" Aika whispered with wide eyes. Tamahome pulled her close and covered her eyes.

"Don't look," he said to her. Aika moved his hand away.

"What went on here, Nuriko?" Aika asked as she felt anger surge through her. Tamahome knew from that look that this wasn't the first time she's seen someone die or already dead. It wasn't, Aika had seen many dead from the village invasions and from the war.

"We were ambushed in the trees by a hail of arrows," Nuriko glared as he crushed the arrow. "It was right after we lost sight of the two of you," he added before remembering what happened a few minutes before. _He had turned to see something shining and arrows rained down. He was pinned to the tree and heard the screams of the men who died._ "I could swear those arrows were meant for you, Aika," he said to me. I was shaking with anger.

"Yeah, they were meant for me. Apparently Kutou sees me as a threat. The guy that had grabbed me told me they were," she stated.

"You spoke to him?" Tamahome asked her. He saw her shaking angrily and placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping to calm her down. Aika nodded.

"They were killed because someone was trying to get to me," she said with anger and guilt in her tone. Tamahome frowned and pulled her close.

"Don't say that," he said softly as her head rested on his chest. They were soon in the village and offered some food. Aika ate a bit, mostly just poking the food around.

"You need to eat something, Aika. I know this was all a shock, but you need to eat," Nuriko said to her.

"The guy in the hat told me I was being stalked by Kutou warriors and he was right," Aika stated. Tamahome looked at her.

"They know the Priestess is the protector of this kingdom. They have a lot of reasons for wanting her dead," he stated. Aika frowned a bit and Tamahome smiled at her. "Don't worry about a thing, Aika. I'll take care of you. I'm not gonna let you out of my sight again," he promised. Aika fought down a blush and smiled slightly.

"Thank you, but that's not really what I'm worried about," she stated. Before Tamahome could ask her to clarify, the door flew open with a man rushing in.

"We have trouble, Tamahome!"

"Bandits are about to storm the west gate!" Another guy said. Tamahome got up with a smile

"Aha! It's money time!" He beamed. Aika and Nuriko gave him looks and Tamahome straightened up, clearing his throat. "Oh yes, I promised to keep Aika safe. Nuriko, you watch her. Bye!" He said before running out. "Woohoo! Time to kick some bandit butt!"

"Money loving idiot," Aika muttered with a tick mark on her temple.

"Maybe we outta do something about Tamahome's greed before we find the Suzaku Warriors," Nuriko suggested to Aika.

"Got that right," she agreed.

"Maybe you have Tamahome all wrong," an old man piped up. "He may charge money, but his prices are very reasonable."

~0~

Outside, Tamahome was smirking as he took down all the bandits until they were on a pile. He was then standing on the pile, holding two of the bandits.

"Thirty intruders defeated, pays thirty!" He smiled at the two guys who had asked for help.

"Not much money for someone who just saved a village."

"That's barely enough for ten loaves of bread and a cup of coffee."

~0~

"Tamahome's a very good man," the old man said to the two.

"But a good man would defend the village because he cares about it! Not because he wanted to be paid money for his services!" Nuriko told him.

"Money? What harm is there in asking for a few cents?"

"Is that all?"

"Now who's being selfish? It really isn't much, why pick on him so?"

 _'Why in the world does Tamahome want money so badly?'_ Aika thought to herself. Nuriko and Aika were given a room and Aika went to bed after taking off everything put her leggings, tank top, and skirt. Aika slept through the night until it was morning. She sighed a bit and rubbed her forehead. _'I can't stop thinking about Tamahome. Why is he so obsessed with money?'_ She thought until she heard something. She looked out the window to see Tamahome putting something on the horse, earning neighs of protest.

"Whoa, easy there," Tamahome calmed the horse.

"What is he doing?" Aika whispered as Tamahome mounted the horse and started to leave. "Now, just where is that boy going so early in the morning?" She asked before smirking. "Bingo," she said before looking at Nuriko. She tried waking the guy up. "Wake up, sleepy head!" She called shaking her. Nuriko didn't wake up. "God, she's as bad as Naruto," Aika muttered before smirking when she got an idea. She went over to her bag and took out a flashlight. She opened Nuriko's eyes and shined the light into it making Nuriko scream bloody murder. "Yup, I knew that would work."

~0~

"Well, if it isn't young Tamahome! How ya doin'?" A man asked as Tamahome went passed him on his horse.

"Fine, I thought I'd drop in for a visit," Tamahome smiled.

"Well, what do you know? This must be his home village," Nuriko mused as he and Aika sat on the horse.

"I think you're right. This place looks amazing though, peaceful," Aika smiled. It reminded her of the beautiful farm lands back in her village.

"Aika," Nuriko said making Aika look over at Tamahome. She then saw him get off his horse. She was then surprised to see a bright smile from Tamahome as four kids ran up to him, calling him 'big brother'. Aika could see how much Tamahome loved his little siblings due to the smile and the hug he was giving them.

"Chuei, Yuiren, Shunkei, Gyokuran, have you all been good?" Tamahome asked them.

"Yeah! We've all been good!" One of the kids replied while the others giggled.

 _'I've never seen Tamahome this happy before,'_ Aika smiled softly as she watched him.

"Dad, I'm home," Tamahome said walking into the house with his siblings who clinged to him.

 _'It's a side of him I've never seen,'_ Aika added in thought before she and Nuriko decided to eavesdrop on them. The man looked at Tamahome with a smile as he laid in bed.

"Tamahome," he greeted as Tamahome knelt down by the bed.

"You're looking better every day, dad. And…" Tamahome chuckled as he pulled out the ryou he had on a rope. "Look at this. I brought home some money to help out," he said to him.

"Thank you, that means a lot. Chuei's been taking care of things while you've been gone," Tamahome's father said. Tamahome smiled at his little brother.

"Chuei, well done," he said placing his hand on Chuei's head.

"Well, I'm not doing too bad," Chuei said sheepishly. "But the crops aren't looking good."

"Don't worry. Just keep that money and make sure to spend it wisely," Tamahome said to him.

"Thank you, son. I'm glad you find the time and room in your heart to care about us. But it's time for you to begin building a life of your own. You should be married, son," Tamahome's father said to him as Aika and Nuriko listened. Tamahome smiled at his old man.

"Maybe. But in the meantime, I'm fine," he said before standing with his baby sister hanging onto his hand. "Well, listen, I gotta go," he said before looking at Chuei. "Chuei, you make sure to take care of everybody, alright?"

"Can't you stay for super?" Shunkei asked.

"Stay with us big brother, please," Yuiren pleased as she hugged her brother's leg. Tamahome felt his heart break a little. He bent down and placed his hands on his sister's shoulders.

"Not this time. But I will bring you a new doll next time I visit," Tamahome promised. Yuiren hugged him.

"No! All I want is you!" Yuiren cried.

"Yuiren, listen. I need all you kids to stay strong. You know everything I do is for you guys. I have to go away and do what I do and get money for us. Just try to be patient. Money is scarce, all I can charge anyone is just enough for us," Tamahome said as he held his siblings. Aika covered her mouth with her hand.

 _"Well, I prefer money to any 'thank you's'," Tamahome said to Aika after kneeling down in front of her. He ran up the steps and faced everyone. "The price is one silver ryou each!" He said holding the gum up._

 _'Then that…that was for his family,'_ Aika thought before she and Nuriko cried like babies

"Tamakins is so brilliant!" Nuriko sobbed as Aika softly blew her nose into a handkerchief.

"Now it all makes sense, why he need the money. To support his family!" Aika whimpered.

"Yuiren!" Tamahome exclaimed making Aika looked at the window. "Yuiren, what's wrong?" He asked holding his sister.

 _"He can be mad at me for following him later,'_ Aika thought as she opened the window and jumped in. "Let me see her," she said to Tamahome before gently taking Yuiren from his arms. Tamahome looked at her with surprise. She then felt the little girl's fore head. "She has a fever and she doesn't look too good," she said before looking at Chuei. "We need to get this girl into bed. Please, bring me a damp cloth," she said to him.

"Right!" Chuei said before running to get the wet cloth.

"She needs to sweat off this fever. Bring more blankets, lots of them," she added as he tucked Yuiren into bed.

"Okay!" Chuei said after coming back with the wet cloth. He gave that to her then went to get the blankets as Aika placed the cloth on Yuiren's forehead. She then took out some medicine from her pouch.

"She needs to take some of this medicine. Tamahome, can you please get some water for her to wash it down?" Aika asked.

"Right!" Tamahome agreed before going to get a cup of water. Aika covered Yuiren up.

"I have to give you some medicine. It's going to taste bad, but it'll make you better," she said softly to Yuiren before giving her the medicine. She took the glass of water from Tamahome and helped Yuiren drink it. Aika waited a bit, keeping the wet cloth on Yuiren's forehead. She then smiled a bit. "It looks like the medicine is starting to work," she mused.

"Now then," Tamahome said making Aika sweat-drop. "Do you wanna tell me why you followed me here, Aika?" Tamahome demanded.

"W-well, uh, you see, um…I-it's a pretty funny story! I'm sure you'll get a great kick out of it!" Aika said letting out one of Kakahi's nervous laughs that she picked up.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I will!" Tamahome shouted. Gyokuran grabbed her big brother's arm.

"Hey, big brother, who is this person? Is she you're wife?" She asked innocently. Tamahome and Aika blushed darkly.

"WHAT?!" Tamahome exclaimed with shock. "That girl? You gotta be crazy, Gyokuran!"

"I-I'm not even ready to be married yet!" Aika exclaimed.

"Don't listen to them," Nuriko said making the two teens look at him. Nuriko was talking to Tamahome's father who sweat-dropped. "They might act embarrassed, but they've gotten very close. I'm sure they've gone all the way by now. Mhmm," he said making the father look like he fainted.

"Don't make jokes with such a straight face or he'll believe you, idiot!" Tamahome blushed darkly at him. Aika even had a dark blush.

 _'Tamahome's blushing…it's kinda cute,'_ she thought seeing the red on the blue haired man's cheeks.

"Hi, big brother," Yuiren greeted softly as she looked over. Aika smiled and looked at Tamahome.

"She's getting better. Why don't you keep her company? I'll go get her some more water," she said before she started to go do so.

"Aika," Tamahome said making Aika stop and look at him. "Thank you, for everything," he smiled a bit at her. Aika smiled with a light blush.

"Anytime, Tamahome. I mean it," she said to him. She then left to go fetch some water after grabbing the bucket. What she didn't know was that there were some men watching her from the trees.

"So, the Priestess of Suzaku walks alone."

"We have her at last!" Aika filled the bucket and looked at her reflection.

"Now that I think about it, helping Tamahome with the children almost makes me feel like I am his wife," she mumbled with a light blush. A dragon came by and made her reflection disappear. "Hey, just what the hell am I thinking? He and I aren't even dating and here I am fantasizing about being his wife. Tamahome couldn't possible ever think of me that way. Anyways, he's only a character in a book," Aika said with a small sigh. She then looked at the scroll Hotohori had given her. _'Anyways, Hotohori mentioned that there are some clues in here to help me with finding the rest of the Suzaku Seven and maybe even Yui. I can't spend time dawdling around. I have to find the last four Warriors and save Yui,'_ she thought before seeing the word monk. "Monk. Okay, so if that's the first word then the last one is mask then…man, I need Yui or Naruto, hell, even Kakashi to teach me more about reading these," she muttered. She saw a shadow and turned to see a man with a pick ace, smirking at her.

"Well, well, the Priestess of Suzaku," he mused. Aika glared before smirking as she drew a kunai.

"As a matter of fact, I am. You know, you should choose your opponents more wisely," she said before taking a fighting stance.

~0~

"What are you doing, loser?" Sasuke's voice rang from Aika's window.

"Gah! What the hell are you doing here, bastard?!" Naruto shouted.

"I came to see how Aika was doing since her 'experience'," Sasuke said climbing into the room.

"You don't have to believe it. She's went back to the Universe of the Four Gods anyways. I guarantee you won't find her in the village or any other," Naruto said before looking back at the book. Out of curiosity, Sasuke began listening to him read. "As she sat by the river bank, a man approached her. Within seconds, the Priestess of Suzaku found herself fighting for her life," Naruto read and his eyes widened. "Fighting for her life?! Sorry if I'm doubting you, Aika, but…Tamahome, save the girl! Believe it!"

~0~

Tamahome's head snapped up.

"Tamahome?" Nuriko asked.

"Something's wrong with Aika!" He shouted before running out.

"Tamahome, wait!" Nuriko shouted, but the blue haired boy didn't stop.

~0~

The pick axe came down and Aika blocked it with her kunai. She smirked at him.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing, someone could get hurt," she said in a teasing tone as she flipped away. She kept dodging and blocking, hoping the guy would tire out. "Wow, you don't tire easily," Aika mused. She blocked the pick axe again, but the impact made her go back into a tree. She looked up and saw the pick axe coming down and was ready to block until the guy was suddenly kicked away. In front of her stood Tamahome. "Perfect timing, Tamahome," Aika smiled a bit.

"Hey, I can't let you have all the fun," Tamahome said to her. Suddenly another man jumped out wearing a mask like cloak. He came down, his hand covered with lightning as it hit the ground when Tamahome and Aika jumped away. Aika glared at the man.

"Stop right there!" She said ready to attack until two arms came out from behind her and shot two lights from his hands at the man.

"Didn't even touch him!" Tamahome exclaimed with shock as the guy landed over by the guy from before. It's then the two men disappeared and the straw hat came off Aika's back. Once the hat landed on the ground, the monk from behind appeared out of the hat with a staff. Tamahome glared and pulled Aika away.

"Hey, that's the guy who pulled me into the forest before those guys attacked," Aika mused.

"The guy who seemed to know so much about these people who want the Priestess of Suzaku dead," Tamahome said keeping his glare on the monk who smiled and nodded. "Well? Who are you? You don't look like a regular person," Tamahome said rudely. Aika gave him a look and nudged him in the ribs making him groan.

"Tamahome, manners," she scolded.

"Hey, you don't have to be mean, ya know. I'm just your basic wonderer, ya know," the monk told him offended. "And it seems Aika can take good care of herself, ya know."

"Got that right," Aika nodded with a smile. They all then started making their way back to the village.

"I warned you about those men, ya know. You should have sensed the enemy's presence. Very careless, ya know. What's your excuse, Tamahome?" The monk asked almost like he was scolding.

"Well, thanks for the warning and the help against the assassins," Aika smiled at him.

"The time for thanks is not now but later, ya know. And if you wanna stay alive, I'll give you some advice, ya know. I can already see you take responsibilities for your own actions, ya know. Because if you didn't, innocent people would suffer on your account. But don't be afraid to ask for help, ya know," he said to her. Aika thought about his words until Nuriko's scream and cries of help from the children reached her ears. Tamahome glared.

"That cowardly Kutou assassin! He wouldn't dare!" He growled before going to help Nuriko and his family. Aika froze.

 _'Innocent people would suffer on my account? Dammit! This is all my fault! If Tamahome hadn't come after me to help me then his family wouldn't be in danger!'_ She thought before quickly running after Tamahome.

"Don't be foolish!" The monk called. Tamahome opened the door and his eyes widened as did Aika's when she saw them.

"Tamahome!" Shunkei cried. Gyokuran, Shunkei, Chuei, and Nuriko were tied in some kind of bandaged webbing.

"Big brother!" the other kids cried.

"Aika! Tamahome! Stay back!" Nuriko shouted. The assassin appeared then. Tamahome went to punch him only be caught in the bandaged webbing as well.

"Tamahome!" Aika called.

"You see, Priestess of Suzaku, if you want your friends to live, you'll let me kill you without resistance," the assassin said as he drew his sword. Aika was shaking with anger.

"You really are an idiot. Coming after those I care about was your first and last mistake," she growled before glaring at him. "Kids, close your eyes. You don't need to see this," she said to the children who closed their eyes. Aika did some hand seals before bringing her hand down, gripping her wrist. "Chidori!" She shouted before lightning engulfed her hand. She then ran forward with a battle cry and thrusted her hand, getting the assassin in the chest. "Using innocent children as bait…you'll be rotting in the bottom pits of hell for this one," Aika said coldly before pulling her hand out as the guy fell to the ground. Tamahome and Nuriko were staring at her in shock. Aika pulled the body out of the house so the kids didn't have to see it. She disposed of it before washing her arm off. She went back to the house where she saw the monk use magic to get everyone out of the webbing. Tamahome walked up to Aika.

"Aika, what was that?" He asked.

"One of the things I learned from a friend of mine," Aika replied.

"No, I mean that cold look you had on your face. I only saw that once before," Tamahome said meaning the Mirror Aika. Aika frowned a bit.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. But I don't stand for anyone using children, let alone my friends, as leverage to get me," she stated.

"You didn't even flinch when you killed him," Nuriko stated.

"Where I'm from, I'm too used to death. I've seen worse than that and I've heard worse," Aika stated as she remembered all the battles she'd seen when she was younger. Tamahome hugged her.

"Thank you, for saving them," he said to her. _'Though I should be the one keeping you safe.'_ Aika hugged him back.

"I told you, anytime. You can't always be there to protect me so I guess my training comes in handy," Aika smiled a bit.

"Yeah, it does," Tamahome replied. Aika pulled back and looked at the monk. She lifted his pant leg and revealed the mark on his knee.

"I knew it, one of the Suzaku Seven," she murmured. The kids ran to Tamahome, crying. Nuriko wrapped his arm around Aika. "Now, any idea what this Kutou army wants me dead?" She asked the monk.

"I think their own Priestess has appeared. I heard about it on my travels, ya know," Chichiri told her. Aika thought back to the other Gods.

"Instead of the Priestess of Suzaku, they plan on having a different Priestess…the Priestess of Seiryuu, right?" Aika asked crossing her arms.

"You are quite observant, ya know!" The monk smiled. Aika sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I just wish I asked that guy who the Priestess of Seiryuu was," she whispered to herself.

"So you're one of the Suzaku Seven too, huh?" Nuriko asked the monk.

"Oh yeah!" The monk laughed. "My name is Chichiri, ya know!"

"Does the skin on your face always peel off?" Aika raised an eyebrow as she pointed to it. "You weren't hurt, were you?" She asked with concern.

"My face is fine, ya know!" Chichiri smiled before suddenly ripping that off to reveal a new face. "I always keep a spare, ya know!"

"Good work, Aika. You found the fourth member of the Suzaku Seven! Though personally I think he's a little weird," Nuriko said to Aika.

"Okay, I'll be weird and you be gay, ya know," Chichiri sweat-dropped. Aika looked over as she heard sobbing. She saw Tamahome holding is little siblings.

"Big brother," Gyokuran sobbed.

"It's all right, Gyokuran," Tamahome soothed. "Chichiri says he doesn't sense anymore enemies in our village," he assured. Aika stood and walked over to him.

"Tamahome," she said getting his attention. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. I'm afraid this is all my fault," she said, guilt clear in her eyes. Tamahome's father smiled warmly at her.

"Please don't think that way. We are honored that the Priestess of Suzaku would see fit to visit our humble little dwelling."

"But, sir…"

"He told you not to worry, so don't. You did nothing wrong," Tamahome assured her. Aika wanted to argue, but decided against it. Soon everything was completely calmed down and the four were sitting at the table. "So there's a legend of the Seven Stars in the Kutou Empire as well?"

"Like I said, I heard it while I was traveling their borders, ya know. Ever since Kutou heard that the Priestess of Suzaku had appeared in Konan, they've been searching for the Priestess of Seiryuu," Chichiri stated.

"So you're saying the same Aika is trying to gain the power of Suzaku to make her wishes come true, the Priestess of Seiryuu would probably be seeking the power of Seiryuu for the same reason," Tamahome stated earning nod from Chichiri.

"It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. After all, the old witch or whatever you call her, Taiitsukun, gave each of the four kingdoms their own neat copy of the Universe of the Four Gods," Nuriko said.

"But in order to get their Priestess, they would need to get a girl from a different world-." Aika gasped. _'Yui…if Yui did end up coming to this world then she could be found by the Kutou Empire and they could make her into the Priestess of Seiryuu. Then…she and I would be enemies here….'_ Aika thought sadly.

"Aika, is something wrong? You're not speaking. You're as white as a ghost!" Nuriko said to her. Aika stood and put on a fake cheery smile.

"It's nothing! No worries! I just remembered I have something I need to take care of. Oh look, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" She said sounding like the rabbit from one of the books she read before running out of the house.

"Aika!" Tamahome called. Aika just kept walking.

"I have to get to Kutou. I have to find Yui. I have to do this so no more innocent people will be in danger," Aika said as she remembered the men that were killed and how Tamahome's family was attacked. She then started running. "I won't let anyone else get killed or hurt because of me. I have to go to Kutou. Alone."

~0~

"And so, unprotected and alone, the Priestess of Suzaku ventured out for the land of Kutou," Naruto read. Sasuke knew that was like Aika to do something like that.

"Aika, please be careful."

 **Naruto: That girl better be careful.**

 **Kida: *Rolls eyes* Come on, Aika's a smart and strong girl. She knows what she's doing.**

 **Kido: That I doubt. You put yourself into your OCs. So seeing as you're an idiot, then she's an idiot.**

 **Kida: *Glares deadly at him* Must...kill...brother...**

 **Tamahome: I'd run right about now.**

 **Kido: *Gulps* Right. *Runs to Mexico***

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please favorite and comment! Now, I have a brother to kill. *Picks up scythe and runs after Kido***


	11. Looking For Yui

**Kida: I'm so freaking tired.**

 **Naruto: Oh yeah, you had exams this week, didn't you?**

 **Kida: Yes! And I freakin' hated every last second of it!**

 **Tamahome: Glad I don't have to go through that.**

 **Kida: Silence! I kill you, infidel!**

 **Kido: *Sweat-drops* You need to lay of the Jeff Dunham shows. Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto and Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and future OCs. Enjoy!**

The Lady Aika, Priestess of Suzaku, traveled to the village of her beloved Tamahome. There she met his family and helped care for the children. But soon Aika was attacked by a ruthless Kutou assassin who held Tamahome's family hostage to force her to surrender. She defeated him and was assisted by a strange fellow called Chichiri who was revealed to be one of the Suzaku Seven by the symbol by which appeared on his knee when she took a look. Lady Aika began to realize that whoever she called 'friend' would soon meet with trouble.

"I'm sorry. I've gotta go," Aika said to them before running out of the house. And so the Lady Aika set out alone for Kutou to find her best friend Yui.

~0~

"Hotohori, the young and powerful Emperor of Konan, devoted himself every day to praying for the safety of the Priestess of Suzaku," Naruto read while Sasuke listened.

~0~

Hotohori was at the statue of Suzaku, his hands together as he prayed to it. He soon opened his eyes and looked at the statue.

"My heart is filled with foreboding. I must pray that Aika remains safe. Suzaku, great God of our proud land, protect us all and watch over the Priestess of Suzaku who is destined to gain your powers and save all of Konan. If I were free of my burdens, a commoner like Tamahome and Nuriko, I would never leave your side, Aika. I would do anything to protect you. Even risk my own life. Please, Aika…be safe."

~0~

Tamahome's fist hit the table.

"She's been gone way too long! Why would Aika wanna run off alone like that?" He asked glaring a bit.

"It might be something personal," Nuriko replied.

"Like?" Chichiri inquired.

"You know, a girl thing."

"A girl thing?"

"Wait, I remember. Before she took off, I heard her saying the name Yui," Nuriko remembered.

"Yui is her friend," Tamahome stated, remembering when Aika mentioned Yui and Naruto.

"We were talking about Kutou's search for the Priestess of Seiryuu when she said it. I wonder, did she see a connection?" Chichiri asked.

"Yui? I've never even met the girl, but from what Aika told me, she wouldn't do such a thing. But if she came to our world…" Tamahome started before his eyes widened and he stood. "I know where she went!" He said going to the door.

"Tamahome?" Nuriko asked.

"Nuriko, watch over my family," Tamahome said to him before leaving.

"Tamahome!" He called before the door closed. "How come we get left behind?"

"Speak for yourself, ya know. See ya!" Chichiri said before disappearing through his hat.

~0~

"So, you're looking for the land of Kutou," a man said to her.

"Yes," Aika smiled kindly.

"Head that way," he pointed right. "There's a short cut through the woods that will get you there in no time."

 _'I have to cover as much ground as I can before Tamahome comes after me,'_ Aika thought before looking at the man with a smile. "Thank you, sir," she said before she started walking.

~0~

"Aika!" Tamahome shouted as he ran. "Aika!" He called hoping she would answer. He soon made it to a bridge and saw a man who told him he had seen Aika. "What? You told her to go through the forest?"

"That's right."

"That forest is dangerous!" Tamahome exclaimed before heading the forest.

"Oh…yeah," the man muttered.

~0~

Aika kept walking until she saw she was in a clearing area of the forest, looking around. She stretched a little and looked up at the trees that clouded the sky a bit.

"This place is beautiful," she said, having liked nature places like this. She began walking again, stopping when she heard something. She looked over and saw a tiger. It was male and looked annoyed that she was in his territory. Aika stayed calm and kept a level eye with the tiger. "Hey now, big fella, I'm just passing through. You don't need to worry about me hurting any of your friends here. I promise, my friend," she said calmly to him. The tiger growled a bit and went to jump down by her. Suddenly Tamahome appeared and kicked the tiger away. Tamahome then grabbed a stick and hit it away. "Tamahome, stop!" Aika shouted surprising the blue haired man. She walked around him and started making her way over to the tiger.

"Aika, don't!" Tamahome protested. Aika didn't listen to him. She knelt down in front of the tiger and started gently petting the tiger's head. Aika smiled softly when the tiger began purring, eyes closed and ears back in comfort.

"There we go. Now, go home to your family, my friend," she said calmly. The tiger licked her cheek making her giggle before it ran off. Aika stood and walked over to Tamahome who was flabbergasted.

"What the hell-?!"

"Animals are no different than humans. He was trying to protect his home. What do you do to someone when they think you're trespassing on their territory? You assure them that you're not and show that you mean peace. The tiger was just going to jump down until you kicked him," Aika said with a deadpanned tone. He was a little embarrassed until he sighed.

"Are you all right, Aika?" He asked me.

"You have to stop this," she said making him look at her. "You have to stop putting your life in danger to save me all the time."

"What are you talking about? You're the one person I've got to keep safe no matter what the cost," Tamahome protested. "What if no one was around to hear you scream if that tiger did attack? You'd be tiger food by now!"

 _"If you didn't, innocent people would suffer on your account," Chichiri told her._ Aika frowned and turned her back to him.

"I left to keep you and your family safe. I've already lost too much, Tamahome. My parents, friends. If you were hurt…I would just die," she stated knowing the pain of heart break. Tamahome's eyes widened. He then wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, pulling her back to his chest. Aika's eyes widened as she blushed a bit. Tamahome buried his face in her apple scented raven hair.

"Please let me stay with you, Aika. In the three months since you left, I've missed you every minute of every day. I never realized how I truly felt about you until you were gone. But now I can't imagine going back to living my life without you. I swear that I'll protect you, no matter what," he vowed, his voice sincere and true. Aika turned to him before burying her face in his chest as he held her, her arms wrapped around his torso. "Don't worry about me, just don't ever leave my side again." Aika listened to his heart beat.

 _'Tamahome, you are truly the only one who has ever made me feel this safe. Just by listening to you say this, I know you would die for me. I know because I've seen this with Hinata and Naruto…..but you have a family you need to take care of. I-I can't take that away from you. I can't let your family suffer the loss of a brother and son just I suffered the loss of a mother and father. I can't…I'm so sorry, Tamahome. Just know that I love you and once this is over I'll be back,'_ she thought to herself. She pulled back a bit and gave a sad smile to him. "I'm so sorry, Tamahome," she murmured.

"What are you talking about, Aika?" Tamahome asked confused. Aika took something off from around her neck. It was a black wired necklace that had a ruby shaped like a flame, on it was the Hidden Leaf symbol. She tied it around his neck.

"I can't let you get hurt and let your family suffer like I have…." She softly cupped his cheek. "Just know that I'll be back before you know it," she said before standing on her tip toes and softly kissing his forehead surprising him. "I'm sorry," she whispered before touching a pressure point on the back of his neck. Tamahome then slumped against her. Aika held him and took him over to a nearby tree, sitting him against it so he could rest. She gently moved some hair from his eyes. "I was too weak to save everyone back home before…but I'm strong enough to save you now," she said softly before standing with her bag. She then took off running out of the forest. She found a wagon rolling by and ran after it before jumping and softly landing in the hay. She looked back at the forest with sad brown eyes. _'I'm sorry, Tamahome, but I have to find Yui. I got her into this and I owe it to her to get her out of it. Forgive me, Tamahome.'_ What she didn't know was that Chichiri had watched the whole thing.

~0~

Now it was night out now and Tamahome was back home, getting his horse set up to go after her.

"Of all the idiotic things! She has gone to Kutou by herself! I have to find her," he said getting on his horse.

"Tamahome!" Nuriko called. "What am I supposed to tell your family?" He demanded. Chuei looked at his elder brother.

"Brother?" He asked. Tamahome remained silent and gave a small smile before subconsciously clutching the necklace around his neck. Chuei smiled at him. "Don't worry. See you when you get back." Tamahome smiled and nodded.

"Tamahome…" Nuriko stepped up.

"Nuriko, go back to the capitol and tell Hotohori what's happened," Tamahome said.

"You're not going after her by yourself, are you?"

"You know, up until now, everything I've ever done has been for my family. I didn't worry about making myself happy because my family's happiness came first and along the way I denied myself so many things. That's why I've never had a girlfriend. But then Aika suddenly appeared in my life and now she's…she's worked her way so deep into my heart I could live without her. I love her and that's why I'll risk my life for her," Tamahome said honestly with determination in his eyes as he held the ruby flame of the necklace in his hand.

"Tama…Tama…" Nuriko said surprised and touched by his speech.

"What? You think you're never gonna see me again?! Have a little faith, would ya!" Tamahome told her. Nuriko chuckled.

~0~

Aika sighed as she hugged her knees to her chest.

 _'I knocked him out. I knocked him out and ran off. Tamahome but be furious with me. But I have to find Yui no matter what…and I can't let his family suffer because of me,'_ she thought. Soon the wagon stopped.

"Hold up, old girl," the wagon driver said to his horse as he got off. He went to the back of the wagon and gasped a bit when he saw the sleeping girl there in the hay. "What-?" He soon woke up the girl up and had her stay with him and his wife. They were all having dinner.

"Can I have another please?" Aika asked politely.

"Wow, what an appetite!" The man said surprised and amused.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten since yesterday," Aika said with a sheepish smile. The man nodded in understanding.

"So you traveled a whole day. Don't you know you could get hurt?" He asked her almost like he was scolding her.

"Oh! No worries, I know how to fight," Aika smiled.

"Good, then we have no need to worry," the woman smiled back as stayed next to her husband.

"You two seem so in love," Aika mused as she was handed the rice bowl.

"We got married two months ago," the man and woman smiled. Aika kept a smile, but was inwardly frowning.

 _'Tamahome…'_ she thought to herself as she remembered back to the forest when Tamahome was holding her. The next morning, the man had asked a friend to take Aika to where she needed to go. Aika was currently sitting in the front.

"Take good care of her, alright?" The man asked. Aika smiled, grateful that the guy was nice enough to care even after one night.

"Sure thing," the driver replied.

"Lucky for you this man was on his way to the border," the woman said to Aika.

"Yeah. Thank you so much for everything," Aika smiled with a bow.

"Our pleasure," the man replied smiling back.

"I wonder, may I ask you to do one more favor for me?" Aika asked them.

"Of course," the woman smiled warmly.

"If a boy named Tamahome comes looking for me, there's something I'd like you to tell him," Aika said before telling them the message. What she didn't know was the Chichiri was following her, hiding in the tree.

~0~

"What?! Aika went to Kutou by herself?!" Hotohori asked anxious and worried. Nuriko was kneeling in front of him with a frown.

"Your Highness, forgive me, but it's true. We were with her, but she snuck out," Nuriko told him. Hotohori's eyes widened a bit before narrowing.

"Bring a horse at once!" He ordered.

"Highness, may I ask what it is you're planning to do?" The councilor asked.

"I intend to bring her back!" Hotohori nearly snapped as he started to walk.

"Not an option. We can't have our Emperor running off to an enemy nation on his own," the councilor stated.

"But what if something terrible were to happen to Aika?"

"Please, Sire! Give this some thought! Your presence could ignite a war and that won't help the Priestess!" The councilor reasoned making Hotohori's eyes widen. He then looked down with a frown.

"Point taken…I don't know what I was thinking," he sighed before sitting back down in his chair.

"Send the fastest scouts on the fastest horses! The Priestess must be found! Quickly!" The councilor ordered the guards. Nuriko saw that Hotohori was distraught and worried, even he felt the same.

~0~

Tamahome rode his horse and soon made it to the house where Aika had stayed the night. There was a woman saw him and gasped.

"Wait! You're Tamahome, aren't you?" She asked making him stop. He nodded a little surprised. "Great, a girl gave me a message for you a few days ago."

"This girl, was she…was her name Aika?" He asked. The woman smiled and nodded.

"Aika said she'd be fine by herself and not to follow her."

 _"I'll be fine by myself, Tamahome. Don't follow me."_ Tamahome could just hear Aika saying that. He thanked the woman and had his horse started running.

 _'Why, Aika? Why are you running away from me?'_ He thought as his horse ran.

~0~

"This is the border," the man said to Aika as they pulled up

"Whoa…" Aika whispered looking at it.

"Just through that gate and you're in Kutou."

"Really? Thanks, sir," Aika smiled at him in thanks before looking at the gate. _'I'm finally here,'_ she thought as she got off the wagon. _'I don't even know if Yui is in Kutou, but I've come this far and I'm not going to turn back. Here goes nothing,'_ she thought as she began walking in. Some Guards saw her. "Good morning, good sirs," she said politely.

"Hey, we can't let you in without a passport," one of the guards said.

"Um, well, you see, about that…." Aika let out a nervous giggle.

"Strange outfit she's wearing," the other guard said.

"Hm? You're right."

"The General mention something about a girl from another world with strange clothe."

"Could she be the legendary Priestess of Seiryuu?"

 _'They're still looking for the Priestess. That means they haven't found Yui!'_ Aika thought. She smirked at them. "Yeah, I just might be that Priestess. What's it to you, hm?" She asked.

"You have any proof?" The guard asked.

"How about the fact that if you don't let me pass then I'll kick your ass so hard your grandchildren will feel it?" Aika asked sounding like a smart-ass. This girl is stressed. You don't like her when she's stressed. The guards looked at her disbelievingly. Aika rolled her eyes and did a hand seal. "Sorry, I'm not in the mood," she muttered. She knew they had their eyes on her hand and then were stuck in a Genjutsu. "See ya, suckers!" She grinned before going to go ahead. Chichiri had watched the whole thing.

"Whoa, not too bad, ya know. She's quite the fire cracker, ya know," he whispered to himself. Aika then stopped when she saw a guy in blue armor with a purple wrap covering the lower half of his face walk up, sitting on his horse. She saw his blond hair and…

 _'What blue eyes…almost the same blue as Naruto's. Who is this guy?'_ Aika thought.

"G-General!"

"General?" Aika whispered with narrowed eyes.

"Sir, we're frozen like this!" One of the guards said.

"By a simple spell? How pathetic," the General said. Aika will admit, his deep voice was making her heart swoon a bit.

"Actually, more like a Genjutsu," Aika stated making the General look at her. She sighed a bit and did a hand seal a she looked at the guards. "Release!" She exclaimed before the guards were free. "See? Genjutsu," she told the General.

"Now tell me who the girl is," the General ordered the guards.

 _'Um yeah, I'm right here,'_ Aika thought.

"Sir, she's claiming to be the Priestess of Seiryuu, Milord." That got the General to look at her with slight surprise.

"The Priestess of Seiryuu?"

"That's what she says, sir," the guard replied.

"Yeah, and she can still hear you seeing as she's standing right here. Sheesh, people have no respect anymore," Aika mumbled making the General smirk under his wrap.

"Then at last, our prayers have been answered. We found you at last," he said to her before looking at one of the guards. "You, ride to the capitol and inform his Highness. Tell him we're approaching with the Priestess of Seiryuu in escort," he ordered.

"Well, you see, I'm kind of looking for a friend of mine so…" Aika trailed off until she saw Tamahome being stopped by a couple guards.

"Hold it! Where's your passport?"

"I don't have one! Let me through!" Tamahome told them.

"Tamahome?" Aika whispered shocked.

"I said 'get out of my way'! Let me through!" Tamahome demanded of the guards.

 _'You came all this way for me, didn't you, Tamahome?'_ Aika thought with a slight blush. She inwardly sighed a bit before looking at the General. "I've changed my mind. Let's go, right away," she told him. _'If I call out to Tamahome now, it'll only cause trouble. Not just for me, but for him and his family. It could get him killed! I don't have a choice.'_

"Stand aside! I'm just looking for someone!" Tamahome shouted before Chichiri grabbed him.

"My buddy here's been at the bottle, ya know! He's drunk! He's babbling! A little messed up, ya know! And he owes a bar tab!" Chichiri said as he dragged Tamahome away. Aika watched them as she sat in front of the General on his horse.

"Milady, what's your name?" The General asked.

"A-Aika," Aika replied.

"Aika…a beautiful name. Love Song, yes?" He asked making Aika blush slightly.

"Yes," she replied. She had not been expecting that compliment from him.

"Chichiri, what are you doing?!" Tamahome demanded until Chichiri shushed him.

"I believe Aika's being taken to the Emperor of Kutou. She was just escorted away by soldiers."

"What?!"

"It's too dangerous to just walk in looking for her, ya know. Let me handle it," Chichiri said to him.

~0~

Aika made her way up to where the Emperor of Kutou is and inwardly groaned.

 _'Aika, you've really done it this time,'_ she thought before looking at the Emperor who smirked.

"Well, what an honor it is to meet the Priestess of Seiryuu from the Universe of the Four Gods," he said to her. Aika sweat-dropped.

 _'He may be an Emperor, but he's way different from Hotohori,'_ she thought.

"Nakago, do you believe she is the Priestess of Seiryuu?" The Emperor asked making Aika look at the General. She then saw Nakago remove his helmet and she blushed as she saw his golden blond hair.

"I think it is quite possible," he replied with a small smile. That made Aika blush more.

 _'Hot damn! Pun intended! I've never seen a blond so beautiful and handsome!'_ She thought to herself.

"When I found her, she was having trouble at the gate so I brought her here myself," Nakago stated.

"I see. Well done, Nakago! Now our kingdom has nothing to fear from Konan's Priestess of Suzaku! The youngster who rules Konan will soon kneel down in defeat before the Kutou thrown!" The Emperor smirked. Aika was now angered at that comment.

"Okay, listen here! Just because he's younger doesn't mean you should underestimate him! That's the first rule about anything! Never underestimate your opponent! What are ya, an amateur?! Sheesh!" She exclaimed. Hey, may as well look like she's helping him. Nakago smirked a bit at her spunk while the Emperor blinked in shock.

"Your Highness, I've brought someone else for you to meet. I'm sure you'll find her interesting," Nakago said before waving to the guard to let the person in. Aika looked over with interest and suddenly saw a girl with short blond hair and blue eyes wearing a dark blue kimono with a light blue sash, white thigh-high leggings and black knee high boots. Aika gasped.

"Y-Yui…Yui!"

"Aika?" Yui asked surprised.

"Yui, is that really you?" Aika asked her, worry in her warm brown eyes. She walked up before hugging the girl. "You're okay! I was so worried," she said as her bag feel. Nakago then saw a red scroll in her bag. Yui had tears running down her cheeks as she smiled, hugging her best friend back.

"Aika, how can you be here? You went back to our world," she said.

"I came back to look for you. I made it home thanks to you. When Naruto and I saw that you weren't there, we knew what must have happened. And there's no way I'm going to leave my best friend alone in this place. I really missed you," Aika said as tears formed in her eyes.

"You came back just for me?" Yui asked her sister figure. Aika pulled back with a smile.

"We're best friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, the best friends ever. Thank you, Aika," Yui smiled before hugging her friend again.

"Which one of them is the Priestess of Seiryuu?" The Emperor asked Nakago. Nakago opened the red scroll and read it.

"Highness, she was carrying Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods," Nakago stated making Aika frown.

 _'Shit! Cover's been blown,'_ Aika thought.

"What?!" Emperor roared.

~0~

"The handsome General opened the scroll and began to read from it," Naruto read feeling worried.

"Aika…" Sasuke whispered hoping she would be safe.

 **Kida: Shit, Aika's been caught.**

 **Tamahome: That's your own fault! You wrote this thing!**

 **Kida: Nope! Yuu Watase did! She wrote that Miaka would be caught so Aika had to be caught!**

 **Naruto: *Sweat-drops* Got a point there.**

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please favorite and comment! Those comments fuel me up. And if I wanna win the race then I need gasoline, people!**


	12. Priestess of Seiryuu

**Kida: Okay, I love this chapter...but I kinda hate it too.**

 **Kido: Why?**

 **Kida: *Glares at Yui* Oh, you're about to find out.**

 **Naruto: It has to do with why you hate Yui, right?**

 **Kida: Ding ding ding, we have a winner, ya know!**

 **Chichiri: Hey! That's my catch phrase, ya know!**

 **Kida: *Grins* Please do the disclaimer please!**

 **Chichiri: Okay! Kida Tenshi doesn't own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi, ya know. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. Enjoy, ya know!**

The Priestess of Suzaku, Lady Aika, traveled to the enemy land of Kutou on her lone quest to find her closest friend, the Lady Yui. After meeting the handsome, but mysterious Kutou General, Nakago, along the way, the Lady Aika was taken to the Kutou Palace. There, as though guided by divine luck of Suzaku, she was at last safely reunited with the Lady Yui.

"Yui!" Aika hugged her best friend as her bag fell. But in that moment, Nakago made a discovery.

"Highness, she was carrying Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods," Nakago stated making Aika frown. The General had discovered the Lady Aika's identity as the Priestess of Suzaku. "I suspected as much when I saw what she was wearing."

"Guards, seize the imposter!" The Emperor ordered. The guards brought their spears up and Aika held Yui behind her with a kunai in hand.

"Aika!" Yui gasped seeing this side of Aika that was ready to fight.

"Just stay close to me, Yui," Aika said to her. A soldier ran up and kneeled.

"Forgive my intrusion, Emperor, but strangers have broken through the main gate and are loose inside the palace! Your command, sir?" He asked. Aika smirked.

 _'Hotohori, I should have known,'_ she said getting the feeling it was his soldiers. "It's time to go, Yui," she said before kicking two of the soldiers down. She grabbed Yui's hand and ran.

"Go after them and make sure the Lady Yui comes to no harm," Nakago ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The men said before going after the girls.

"I really need to work on my endurance," Yui panted.

"Trust me, being here will help," Aika said to her friend before they hid in a storage room. Aika kept a look out.

"Any sign of them?" A soldier asked.

"No, they could be hiding anywhere," another said as Aika closed the door quietly. Yui looked around and found a small box, picking it up.

"Aika, what do we do now?" She asked.

"We have to make it out of this palace and make it to Konan," Aika replied looking at her friend.

"Konan?"

"Yes, Yui. If you become the Priestess of Seiryuu for the kingdom of Kutou, it will make us enemies," Aika stated while her friend turned the handle on the box.

"Aika…" Yui set the box down and Aika grabbed her hand.

"Tamahome and the others would be glad to welcome you into their homes," she said trying to persuade her friend.

"Tamahome…" Yui smiled a bit. Aika frowned when she saw a scar on Yui's wrist.

"What's this? Yui, where did this scar come from?" She asked. Yui took her hand back and held her own wrist.

"Don't worry, it was only a minor cut. Not as bad as it looks. It was three months ago when a blue light came out of the _Book of the Universe of the Four Gods_ at the library. I think that's when I got hurt."

"Are you sure that General guy…?" Aika raised an eyebrow.

"No! He helped me a lot. I was so confused. Nakago saved me," Yui told her.

"I see. I take it his blonde hair and blue eyes means he's a foreigner, right?" Aika asked.

"Yup! He's a foreigner from the far west, a kingdom no one's ever been too," Yui explained.

"Huh, you know, if he were a knuckle head, I could swear he and Naruto could be brothers! Hell, I sometimes think you and Naruto are siblings," Aika muttered. Yui giggled and nodded in agreement. The blond hair and blue eyes were close to the same. They suddenly hear noise outside. Aika's eyes narrowed and she moved Yui to hide with her. She kept a kunai close in case she needed to attack and protect them. She heard the door open and knew a soldier was looking inside.

"They in there?"

"No," he replied before closing the door. Aika let out a small sigh of relief.

~0~

Tamahome punched one guard and then another before using his elbow and kicking. Tamahome then let a slow breath out before seeing the blonde haired General walk up.

"You're one of the Suzaku Seven," Nakago mused seeing the ogre mark on Tamahome's forehead.

"What have you done with Aika?" Tamahome glared.

"You bear the mark of the ogre. Coming here by yourself to find the Priestess is very brave, Tamahome, but when fools get brave they end up dead."

"I asked what you did with Aika," Tamahome said trying to stay calm.

"You did, you may as well give up because you're not getting her back," Nakago told him.

"Too bad…for you," Tamahome jumping up. He went to kick him until Nakago smirked and slapped his ankle away. Tamahome landed behind him and hissed when his ankle throbbed. "He hardly even connected. This guy is good," he said under his breath. Chichiri showed up on the roof of the gate.

"I better help!" He said before doing a seal with his hands to freeze Nakago. "Tamahome, I froze him! Get out of there!"

"Thanks, Chichiri!" Tamahome said standing before running into the palace. Nakago smirked.

"Oh, you brought a friend with you I see," he mused before closing his eyes. Once he opened them, he was free of the spell and Chichiri disappeared. "The Suzaku Seven, how very amusing."

~0~

"Aika, what are we doing? We're not going to accomplish anything by hiding," Yui said to her best friend who was looking through her bag.

"The scroll! The Universe of the Four Gods!" Aika said not seeing it.

"Yes, what about it? And why are you yelling?" Yui asked her.

"Yui, without Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods, I'll never find all the Suzaku Seven. I have to get it back!" Aika said standing up.

"Wait, we can't let them capture you!" Yui said grabbing her wrist.

"But if I don't have the scroll then I'll never find the other three Suzaku Warriors and we'll never get out of here," Aika stated as she opened the door. She then sighed. "Well, I can get that after I get you out of here. Come on, and stay close," she told her friend. She opened the door and found no one there. She took Yui's hand and ran out.

"There they are!" A guard said seeing them. Aika glared and had her kunai ready to attack. Suddenly the guard was knocked out and fell down revealing Tamahome.

"Crap! Tamahome!" Aika squeaked and hid behind Yui knowing she was in big trouble. Tamahome walked up and Yui blushed.

"You, you must the girl Aika is always talking about. Your name's Yui, am I right?" Tamahome smiled kindly at her.

"Y-you know me?" Yui asked blushing with a smile.

"We better get out of here," Tamahome said. He started to run until he grunt and fell to his knees, holding his ankle.

"What's wrong?" Aika asked worried.

"Are you hurt?" Yui asked equally worried.

"Not bad considering how that foreigner hit on me," Tamahome replied. Aika knelt down beside him.

"There must be a way to solve this. I'll find him and have a word with him," Yui said before going to leave. Aika grabbed her hand.

"Yui-!"

"I'll make sure you guys go back to Konan safely with the Universe of the Four Gods and me as well!" Yui smiled before running off.

"Yui, wait!" Tamahome called.

"Don't worry! I think he'll do what I ask!" Yui called back.

"Yui…" Aika frowned.

"Aika, why did you knock me out and run off?" Tamahome demanded gently as Aika frowned at him.

"Because…"

~0~

"You haven't found the Lady Yui and the Priestess of Suzaku? Fools, search again!" Nakago ordered.

"Sir!" The guards said before running of to find the two girls.

"Nakago?" Yui asked making Nakago turn to see her.

"Lady Yui, we've been looking for you," Nakago said, almost sounding a bit relieved. "Helping the Priestess of Suzaku escape is not something we expected out of you. You are the Priestess of Seiryuu after all."

"I'm not the Priestess of Seiryuu, Nakago! I never agreed to it and I won't now! Aika is my friend! I believed you when you said Aika forgot about me, but find out it's a lie! All this time, she's been looking for me in another kingdom! Give me Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods! I'm going to Konan with my friend Aika!" Yui shouted at him. The blonde man wasn't fazed a bit.

"Very well, you're free to do as you please, Priestess. Take it," Nakago said calmly as he handed it to her. As soon as she grabbed it, he grabbed her scared wrist. "However, I don't believe your friend cares about you as deeply as you seem to care about her. Do you remember the violence and brutality you suffered when she left you in this world three months ago?" He asked. Yui remembered men ripping her clothes off and smacking her. She ripped her wrist out of his grip. "I took care of you and I always will. Go to the shrine hall if you change your mind, Priestess of Seiryuu." Yui ran away from him.

~0~

Aika had helped Tamahome into the storage room and were now standing in an uncomfortable silence.

"Why wouldn't you let me come along just to protect you? You knocked me out cold," Tamahome told her as he traced the designs on a music box.

"I can take care of myself, Tamahome. And besides, this was something between me and my friend and nobody else," Aika told him as she avoided his gaze.

"So it was basically none of my business," Tamahome said in an angered tone before opening the music box that began to play. Aika frowned. "Do you want me to leave you alone from now on?"

~0~

Yui smiled as she made her way back to Tamahome and Aika, holding the scroll.

 _'At last, I can go back to Konan with Aika and be closer to Tamahome.'_

~0~

Tamahome grabbed Aika by the shoulders and made her look at him. What he did surprised her. He kissed her. What they didn't know was that Yui saw them. Tamahome pulled away and looked Aika in the eye.

"Tamahome…"

"Don't you realize the reason I wanna protect you so badly is because I'm in love with you?" Tamahome asked her. Aika felt her heart warm and beat even faster.

"Of course I know that. It's the whole reason I came back from my world. I couldn't forget about you. I knew no matter what, I had to be with you. And that's why I knocked you out in the forest. I couldn't bear it if you got hurt just because of me," she said to him. Yui listened and her eyes widened, feeling hurt and betrayed thinking her friend didn't care about her. Tamahome pulled Aika into his arms.

"You little fool," he chuckled slightly.

 _'Tamahome…'_ Yui thought hurt.

 _"Do you remember the violence and brutality you suffered when she left you in this world three months ago?" Nakago asked._ Yui looked at the scar on her wrist. She suddenly heard the rain and thunder from outside as she gripped the scroll. Aika cupped Tamahome's cheeks gently making him smile softly before they shared a soft, loving kiss. They pulled away when they heard Yui.

"Aika, I did it! I-I got Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods!" Yui said running in to make it look like she hadn't heard them. "We got everything we need. Come on! I'll come with you to Konan!" They left the storage room and Aika linked her arm with Yui's, smiling.

"This is so great. Finally back together again. Too bad Naruto couldn't be here with us, huh?" She asked her best friend. Yui smiled at her.

"Yeah," she said before looking ahead.

 _"Do you remember the violence and brutality you suffered when she left you in this world three months ago?" Nakago asked._

 _"I love you. That's why I came back here," Aika told Tamahome._ Those two voices just echoed in Yui's head. "Yui, what's the matter?" Aika asked concerned, snapping her out of thought.

"Huh? Oh, don't worry about me. It's nothing."

"You know, this seems way too easy," Tamahome said to the girls.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It's weird that golden boy is causally letting us walk out of the Kutou Palace like this. But yet he saved Yui and gave back the scroll. Maybe he's not all bad," Aika figured.

"Yeah, well, he seemed nasty enough to me," Tamahome retorted. They then made it to a blue gate.

"Is this the way out?" Aika asked her friend.

"No, but there's something I wanna show you. Will you wait outside, Tamahome?" Yui asked as Aika opened the door.

"I guess," Tamahome replied. Aika walked in and suddenly lightning and thunder roared as the dragon Seiryuu was revealed. Aika let out a small scream. "Aika! What's going on?!" Tamahome asked before going to run inside. He was suddenly thrown back by a barrier. "What was that?!" He asked seeing the doors close as Chichiri appeared beside him. "Chichiri."

"Oh shut!" Chichiri exclaimed.

"That's a pun, right?" Tamahome asked before Chichiri kicked him.

"It's a warded barrier of Seiryuu, ya know! None of Suzaku's Warriors will be able to get in!"

"What?!"

~0~

Aika looked at the large gold dragon statue as the water fountains kept running. She stayed close by Yui.

"I don't even know why I got freaked out there for a second. I was never good with thunder…" Aika said with a sheepish and embarrassed laugh.

"You were the only one who was scared," Yui said to her.

"I wasn't scared! What makes you think I was scared?" Aika asked looking away embarrassed and stubborn.

"It's funny," Yui said looking away.

"Huh?" Aika looked at her.

"I was just wondering, what would have happened if I had been the come here instead of you the first time. What if it was me instead of you? I would have ended up as the Priestess of Suzaku, wouldn't I? And I'm sure Tamahome would have ended up falling in love with me instead of you," Yui said with a bitter tone that surprised Aika.

"You mean…but I-!" Aika suddenly gasped and fell to her hands and knees, feeling a searing pain throughout her body. "I-I feel numb. This can't…"

"Does it hurt? This place is a shrine of Seiryuu in case you were wondering. Now your beloved Tamahome won't be able to help you."

"I-it's a trick. Yui, what are you doing? How could you?" Aika chocked out before groaning when Yui grabbed her hair in a tight fist to make her look up.

"You tricked me, didn't you?! You didn't come back here for me! It's only your desire for Tamahome that made you return! Isn't that right? You've had it easy from the beginning! You had someone who cared about you! For me it was just the opposite! Do you have any idea of what I went through when I first got to this nightmare world?!" Yui asked as tears flood down her cheeks. "What kind of pain I went through?!" She asked as a drop landed on Aika's cheek. Aika opened her eyes to see the tears.

"Yui…"

"Everything that happened to me was your fault!" Yui shouted before throwing her down, Aika's head hitting the ground. "I love Tamahome far more than you do, Aika! And now, I'm going to take him for myself!" She said before Aika grunted as she got up, trying to ignore the pain.

"Yui, what happened to you?" She asked looking up at the girl she thought was her best friend. She suddenly felt Nakago's presence and took out her kunai, ready to attack.

"Pretty impressive for a Priestess, Aika," a familiar male's voice said.

"You son of a bitch, you tricked her!" Aika growled with a glare.

"Nakago," Yui said before the shadow figure came into the light.

"I'm here, Priestess of Seiryuu," Nakago said.

"Aika, my servant, may I present the great General Nakago, one of the Seiryuu Seven. No need to pout," Yui smirked.

"Yui!" Aika exclaimed.

"See you around, Aika," Yui said before walking away.

"Yui, wait!" Aika shouted to her friend before Nakago blocked her way.

"Until the summoning of Seiryuu is finished here, no one must interfere here," Nakago said before the mark on his forehead glowed blue. Aika screamed and was blown back as she got some cuts on her. "Your presence is a threat to the ceremonial summoning of Seiryuu by the Priestess. You pose a threat to my country as well. You will never return to Konan." Aika just glared at him.

"Suddenly your voice annoys me," she said sounding like a smart ass. She looked at her friend. "Why did you betray me, Yui?"

"'Why' she asks? That takes a lot of nerve. I know you never really considered me your best friend. Those were just hollow, empty words. I know the truth now. Even after what happen, I waited faithfully for three long months for you to come back and get me out of here!" Yui shouted. "Now what? Will you betray Naruto next if he came here?! Huh?!"

"This'll be a first the first I ever called you this, but you're a god damn idiot, Yui!" Aika shouted surprising the girl. "I did come here for you! When Naruto and I learned you were gone, we were worried! I told him I thought you went into the book and packed all I needed before coming back! I looked for you in Konan, but you weren't there! I went to Tamahome to get help! I then practically ditched him to come look for you here as soon as I heard about the Priestess of Seiryuu! I came to enemy lands to look for you knowing I would be risking my own life for the Sage of the Six Path's sake!"

~0~

Tamahome ran and hit the door with his shoulder only to be thrown back by the barrier, Chichiri catching him.

"Dammit! There's no way I can bust that door down myself! What about you, Chichiri? Can you get us in?" Tamahome asked.

"I'll give it a try, ya know," Chichiri said determined.

~0~

Aika stood up, ignoring the stinging from her cuts.

"Yui, tell me what happened. What could have made you so angry and bitter that you'd betray your own best friend?" Aika asked her friend.

"Nakago!" Yui commanded. The mark on his forehead glowed again. Aika screamed as she received more injuries and was thrown at the door. Something invisible caught her before she reached impact. Chichiri revealed himself and Aika looked at him.

"That was pretty close. If I had let you hit the wall at that speed, you would have cracked it, ya know."

"Chichiri…." Aika whispered. Nakago saw a piece of cloth was ripped from Chichiri's knee.

"So, a servant of Suzaku who can enter a protected shrine through a warded barrier. Ah, you're the one who cast that spell on me before," he said.

"I'm tricky that way, ya know!" Chichiri told him. He set Aika down and held her close as he used a magic attack that looked like an explosion around them. The area was destroyed as Nakago protected Yui. Nakago looked over to see Chichiri protecting Aika. The door had broken open as well and it revealed Tamahome.

"Tamahome," Yui said.

"Very impressive, but there's still no way a Warrior of Suzaku can breach the warded barrier," Nakago said as Chichiri held Aika.

"Aika!" Tamahome called. Tamahome's ogre mark glowed and he tried to force his way through the barrier, getting electrocuted.

"Tamahome!" Chichiri called worried as Tamahome kept forcing his way.

"Tamahome…" Yui said surprised.

"Stand back, Priestess," Nakago said as he stood in front of her protectively, glaring at Tamahome.

"What did…you do…to…Aika?!" Tamahome roared as his shirt was ripped off from the lighting. "I asked you a question, dammit!" Tamahome growled as he ran through and punching the surprised blonde. Tamahome panted as some of his knew cuts bled. He then ran over to Aika and Chichiri. "Aika, I'm here. Speak to me," Tamahome said worried.

"Tamahome…" Aika whispered before leaning against him. Tamahome wrapped his arms around her, holding her close but gently.

"Tamahome, get into this hat with Aika. It'll take you to them, ya know! Hurry!" Chichiri said handing Tamahome his straw hat. Tamahome took it.

"Take us to who?" Tamahome asked. Nakago stood and Chichiri stood protectively in front of Tamahome and Aika.

"Beat it while I got pretty boy occupied!" Chichiri shouted. Nakago's mark glowed and attacked Chichiri who used his magic to block it. "Hurry!"

"You got it," Tamahome said.

"Wait, what about Yui?" Aika asked looking at her best friend.

"We are leaving, come on!" Tamahome shouted at Yui, holding his hand out to her. Yui just frowned. "Come on!"

"No, Priestess!" Nakago said standing in front of her. He then sent another attack to Tamahome and Aika until Chichiri blocked it again.

"Chichiri!" Tamahome shouted.

"You two get out of here! I'll be right behind you!" Chichiri yelled.

"Get inside the hat!" Tamahome told Aika.

"Not without Yui!" Aika argued. There was another attack and Chichiri blocked it before falling to his hands and knees.

"Chichiri!" Tamahome and Aika shouted. Chichiri looked at them to reveal the scar on his face.

"Get goin'!" Chichiri yelled at them.

"Chichiri…" Aika whispered.

"Get going," Tamahome gently ordered before encouragingly pushing her in. "Yui, I promise I'll be back to save you," he said stunning the blonde girl. He then disappeared into the hate before Chichiri picked up the hate with a smirk.

"Play time is over, ya know," he said before disappearing under the hat.

~0~

"The Suzaku Seven were unable to triumph over Seiryuu, but they weren't defeated either. They had saved their Priestess. What now?! This guy Nakago is powerful enough to take them all on!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You're telling me. But they don't have all the Warriors yet. Maybe all Seven are needed in order to defeat him," Sasuke said to him.

"I don't know….Yui…" Naruto frowned sadly. Sasuke frowned a bit and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "H-how could she do this? She's normally very reasonable…"

"I don't know, Naruto. That I don't know."

~0~

"Priestess, I apologize. I don't know how they broke through the barrier," Nakago said as the area was flooded with water.

 _'Tamahome did it. The barrier could not keep him from Aika.'_

"I will be more careful the next time," Nakago added before Yui looked at the scar on her wrist.

"It's okay, Nakago. They won't fall easily. What fun would that be?"

 **Kida: Yui...get out of my laboratory!**

 **Kido: You watched Dexter's Lab too much.**

 **Kida: And I'll kill her in ways Dexter could never imagine if she doesn't get out! This is where I conduct my writing experiments!**

 **Yui: *Gulps a bit* I-I'll be back...when she's less upset. *Runs***

 **Kida: DON'T EVEN COME BACK _THEN!_ I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Tamahome finally kissed Aika! *Fan girl screams* Please favorite and comment!**


	13. Only You

**Kida: *Grins* Two chapters in one day! I'm so proud of myself!**

 **Naruto: *Reads over newest chapter. Eyes widen* YOU PUT KURAMA IN HERE?!  
**

 **Kida: SILENCIO! *Hits Naruto with a paper fan* Idiot, that was supposed to be a surprise! Taiitsukun! Do the disclaimer fast before Naruto blabs more spoilers!**

 **Taiitsukun: Lady Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Lady Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs.**

 **Kida: Please enjoy, my beautiful readers!**

Having learned that Lady Aika was Priestess of Suzaku, the Emperor of Kutou ordered her capture, but Tamahome intervened and saved her. Lady Yui, believe the Lady Aika had only returned to this world for Tamahome and not to rescue her, decided at last to become the Priestess of Seiryuu and locked Lady Aika inside the shrine. But once again, she was rescued.

"Aika, I'm here. Speak to me," Tamahome said worried.

"Tamahome…" Aika whispered before leaning against him.

"We are leaving, come on!" Tamahome shouted at Yui, holding his hand out to her. Yui just frowned. "Come on!"

"No, Priestess!" Nakago said standing in front of her. He then sent another attack to Tamahome and Aika until Chichiri blocked it again. And so, Lady Aika and Lady Yui were separated once more.

~0~

"The Priestess of Suzaku had fallen into a deep sleep and had dream after beautiful dream," Naruto read out loud, looking at the picture of the Priestess sleeping in a bed.

~0~

Aika slept in the bed as she dreamed of her moments with Yui and Naruto as children. _All three laughed as they swung on the swings, only being five and nine years old._

 _"I'll race you two to Ichiraku's! Believe it!" Naruto grinned._

 _"You're so on!" Yui replied._

 _"On your mark, get set, go!" Aika shouted before they all took off running to the ramen shop. Time passed to when Naruto was thirteen and Yui and Aika were nine._

 _"Guess what. I'm going to become Hokage! Believe it!" Naruto grinned at the girls._

 _"I don't know…do you think you'll be able to handle it?" Yui asked him._

 _"Yeah, the Hokage gets a lot of paperwork and there's a lot responsibility," Aika stated_

 _"Who cares?! I'm going to do it so everyone in this village will acknowledge my existence!" Naruto told them. The two girls smiled._

 _"In that case, we'll help you, Naruto!" Aika told him._

 _"Eh?!"_

 _"Yeah! What would you do without us anyway?" Yui asked him. Naruto grinned._

 _"Yeah, the three of us working together will be perfect! Believe it!" Years passed and they were all walked through the village._

 _"So you're getting close to opening your own shop," Naruto smiled._

 _"Yup, and I have a partner in crime to do it," Aika said linking her arm with Yui's._

 _"Opening a shop is a crime, huh? Then I'm guilty! Someone, put me in handcuffs and take me away!" Yui joked. The three laughed before Naruto stood between the two of them and wrapped his arms around their shoulders._

 _"And I'll even help you out! You two are great with medicine, Aika can handle the weapons too, and I'll bring in copies of Pervy Sage's books!" He grinned at them._

 _"NO WAY!" The two girls shouted._

 _"How about you just stand in the shop and look pretty?" Yui teased. Naruto sulked._

 _"Okay, we'll sell his_ _ **Gutsy Ninja**_ _book. But that's it. No_ _ **Come Come Paradise**_ _!" Aika told him._

 _"I can live with that! Believe it!" Naruto grinned brightly while the two girls giggled. "Now, I have to go meet up with Hinata."_

 _"Oh yeah! Good luck with proposing to her!" Yui smiled._

 _"She'll say yes. I know it!" Aika smiled. Naruto smiled and waved as he ran off. "You know, maybe we should make a bet on who gets a hot boyfriend first," Aika said to Yui._

 _"I shouldn't have any problem winning that one," Yui replied._

 _"What's that supposed to mean?!" Aika asked before the two laughed._

"Aika?" Tamahome asked softly. Aika opened her eyes slowly to see a naked Tamahome on top of her. Aika blushed darkly.

"Ah! Get out of my bed, you pervert!" She screamed before punching him out of bed while holding the sheets to her naked chest. Tamahome's upper half was now on the ground, anime tears streaming down.

"Well, that proves I'm not having a dream! So what am I doing in bed with you naked?" Tamahome asked. Aika kept the blankets to her chest as she looked around.

"What are we doing here? All I remember is…" Aika trailed off as she remembered Nakago's glowing mark on his forehead and how it seemed to injure her. She moved her blanket to look at the cuts. "The wounds I got from that fight, they're all healed." Tamahome got up with a bump on his head.

"Yeah, I felt better when I first woke up," he muttered while Aika gave an apologetic smile. They then saw their bed was surrounded by clouds and gold pillars.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know. I wonder where Chichiri went," Tamahome replied. Aika suddenly thought of Yui and hid her face in the blankets. "Aika? What's wrong?" Tamahome asked concerned as he heard her quiet and soft sobs.

 _"You tricked me, didn't you?! You didn't come back here for me! It's only your desire for Tamahome that made you return! Isn't that right? You've had it easy from the beginning! You had someone who cared about you! For me it was just the opposite!" Yui shouted at her._

"Is it Yui?" Tamahome asked her. Aika pulled the blanket from her face as she kept her gaze down. Tamahome placed his hand on her head and gently pulled her to his chest. "There was nothing we could have done to get her out of there, Aika. But I swear we'll find a way to save her," he promised. Aika closed her eyes as she leaned against him.

 _'Tamahome doesn't understand. Yui chose to stay in Kutou. She chose to be our enemy,'_ she thought before looking ahead with narrowed eyes. "I have to go back to Kutou as soon as possible," she told him. Tamahome looked at her like she was crazy.

"Huh?!"

"There's something important I have to ask Yui about," Aika stated.

"What?" Tamahome asked curious.

 _'Yui can't be made at me just because she's in love with Tamahome too! I wonder…'_ Aika began to wrap the blanket around her to get out of bed until Tamahome yanked it.

"Hold it! In case you haven't noticed, we only have one sheet! I'm not gonna walk around here butt naked!" He told her.

"I thought you were a gentleman! I see I was mistaken!" Aika growled as she yanked the sheet back.

"If I was a gentleman I wouldn't need it!" Tamahome growled back as he pulled.

"ENOUGH!" Taiitsukun shouted making Tamahome let go and fall out of bed. Aika looked over to see Taiitsukun, Chichiri, and the Nyan-Nyan. "We didn't nurse you back to health just to hear you bicker!" She shouted. Tamahome blushed and covered his lower region up.

"Taiitsukun," Aika said.

"Chichiri," Tamahome added.

"Then we must be on Mount Taikyoku," Aika mused.

"It has been a while since you have visited, my impetuous ones. Chichiri arrived quiet unexpectedly with the two of you unconscious," Taiitsukun stated.

"Hi, Aika!" A Nyan-Nyan smiled.

"Your injuries were minor so we treated them and prepared a bed," Taiitsukun said a little annoyed by the first Nyan-Nyan.

"We made your bruises go away!"

"We made a bed for you to rest-!"

"SILENCE!" Taiitsukun shouted shutting them up. "BRING THEM THEIR CLOTHES AND LET ME SPEAK!" She shouted at the Nyan-Nyans. The Nyan-Nyan ran away as Chichiri gave the two their clothes.

"Here," Chichiri said.

"Thank you for saving us," Aika smiled a bit as she took the clothing. "Both of you," she said to Taiitsukun who gave a warm smile to her.

"You could have given us night shirts," Tamahome muttered embarrassed.

"But how do you know about Mount Taikyoku, Chichiri?" Aika asked.

"Very simple!" Chichiri said before ripping his mask off to reveal his real face. "Actually, I've been in formal training here for over three years, ya know," he said to her.

"Oh, and it appears a friend of yours showed up," Taiitsukun said to Aika who looked at her with confusion.

"Do you mean my friend Naruto?" She asked.

"No! Me, you brat!" A male voice shouted. Aika looked on the bed and suddenly saw a small version of the Nine Tailed Fox Kurama. Aika blinked.

"Kurama?!" She asked. "How the hell did you get here?!"

"I don't know! I was sleeping in the mountain back home and suddenly I wind up on this freakin' mountain! Now I know why Naruto was feeling worried," Kurama said.

"A-a fox?!" Tamahome freaked.

"Oh shut up, I'm not gonna hurt ya, brat," Kurama muttered. Aika smiled and began petting Kurama.

"It's been a while, Kurama," she said. _'Kurama is one of the guardians of the Land of Fire and Suzaku is the fire bird, so I guess it only makes sense that Kurama was here.'_

"Yeah, a few months, Kit," he said to her. Kurama had taken to calling Naruto, Yui, and Aika Kits seeing as the three were as close as siblings.

"Aika, you are determined to return to Kutou?" Taiitsukun asked after the two got dressed.

"Yes, because I've got to find my friend Yui and figure out what's wrong. I have to find out what happened to her three months ago," Aika stated as the three knelt in front of Taiitsukun. Aika was holding Kurama in her arms.

"What the hell did I freakin' miss?" Kurama asked confused.

"Uh….it's a long story," Tamahome replied.

"I have a much better way of finding your answers than by simply returning to Kutou," Taiitsukun stated.

"A better way? How so?" Aika asked curious.

"Just follow me," Taiitsukun replied. Aika looked at Tamahome and Chichiri who nodded. The three then followed Taiitsukun, Kurama staying the raven haired girl's arms. There they saw a large mirror.

"Wow, that's the biggest mirror I've ever seen," Aika mused.

"Tell me about it…think it's big enough for Sakura and Ino?" Kurama snickered making Aika giggle.

"This mirror records every event in the world and plays it back for me to see," Taiitsukun said.

"I see, kinda like a special Genjutsu I read about," Aika mused to herself.

"I command you, mirror. Show us what happened to the girl Yui when she arrived three months ago," Taiitsukun said to the mirror. Aika braced herself as Taiitsukun raised her staff and the image appeared on the mirror. _There was the capitol of Kutou. Yui was walking around, passing an alley that had two men in it._

"Yui…" Aika whispered. Kurama looked at her before looking back at the mirror.

 _"Aika?" Yui asked as she walked._

"That's the slum district in the heart of Kutou's capitol," Tamahome realized.

"Slum district?" Aika asked not liking the sound of that.

 _"Hey, check this out," a man said making Yui look over._

 _"She's dressed sort of funny, but she's got a great body," the other guy said._

 _"Let's have some fun, girlie," the first man smirked._

 _"Yeah, you heard him. Get over here!" The other said was Yui looked in fear. She then took off running._

 _"AIKA! Help!" Yui shouted as the two men chased after her. "No! No! Aika! Where are you?!" Yui shouted as the man caught up to her and grabbed her. "No! Let go!" Yui screamed._

 _"Come here!"_

 _"Why won't you answer me, Aika?!"_

 _"Shut up! She's a noisy one!" They ripped her clothes off._ Aika stared with wide eyes. Tamahome and Chichiri were looking away as Yui screamed and the men raped her. Kurama whimpered and his ears flattened. Aika's eyes filled with tears and she closed her eyes.

"Stop it…" she murmured. "That's enough…TURN IT OFF!" She screamed before the mirror got rid of the image. She looked down as tears flooded down her cheeks. Kurama whimpered in worry as he looked at her. "I-I had no idea she'd been through anything like that. Then…that's why she…she tried to kill herself," she softly sobbed as she remembered that scar on Yui's wrist.

"Kit…" Kurama murmured using one of his tails to try and wipe her tears away. They just kept going.

~0~

"So at last, we have the Priestess of Seiryuu," The Emperor said as Nakago and Yui stood in front of his desk. "Now it is my wish that you gather the Seiryuu Seven and summon Seiryuu as soon as possible. It is a pity the Priestess of Suzaku escaped us, but her fate is best left in your hands from this moment on," the Emperor said to Yui.

~0~

"Oh Yui, I don't know why I couldn't hear you calling out. I'd have found you and taken care of you. We're connected. I just wish I understood how we got switched. Why did you get taken as soon as you figured out a way to get me out of the book and back to our world?" Aika softly sobbed to herself. The others looked at her sadly. "Everything that you are going through…and all the time I was…Yui!" She breathed tearfully as she collapsed to her knees. Kurama nuzzled her to try and help her calm down.

~0~

 _'For three months I've waited for Aika. And when she finally comes back to this world, it isn't even for me. All her talk about 'let's open a shop together' meant nothing,'_ Yui thought as tears flooded her eyes inwardly. _'To think I considered her my best friend. I'll never forgive her. Never!'_ "Yes, as you wish. I will deal with her."

"This pleases me, Priestess of Seiryuu. For the time being I will wait for you to eliminate the Priestess of Suzaku. Until everyone who opposes us is removed we will post pone our attack on Konan. If they were to use the power of Suzaku to restore their armies after we've defeated them, our forces would be obliterated," the Emperor said.

"I will not fail you," Yui said with a small bow, Nakago watching her. They soon left the Emperor's office and were walking through the halls. _'Aika, there's no turning back now. I'm going to make sure your hopes and dreams are as dead as mine are.'_

~0~

Aika was sitting in the bedroom, holding Kurama to her. Outside the room stood Tamahome and Chichiri.

"How's Aika doing, Tamahome?" Chichiri asked. The blue haired man sighed.

"Not so good. She locks herself inside her room and refuses to speak to me. If only…" He trailed off as Taiitsukun appeared in his face. Tamahome screamed and hugged Chichiri. "Chichiri, it's awful, What is it?!" He asked.

"I will see to Aika," Taiitsukun said floating to the bedroom…upside down.

"I guess after three years I'm used to her looks, ya know," Chichiri sweat-dropped. Back in the bedroom, Aika looked down at the ground.

 _"Aika!" Yui called out to her in fear as she was being raped._

 _'What happened to Yui was all my fault. How can I ever make it up to her? Why couldn't I hear her calling me?'_ Aika thought to herself.

"Kit, it's not your fault," Kurama said trying to comfort her.

"Aika," Taiitsukun said making the two look at her.

"Taiitsukun…"

"You took off your weapons pouch when you got to your own world, didn't you?" Taiitsukun asked.

"My weapons pouch?" Aika asked confused until she gasped. She had set her weapons pouch down and inside it was the special kunai only she, Yui, and Naruto had! "Of course, when I took that off, my connection with Yui was cut off because I didn't have my kunai on me!" she realized.

"That is why this is not your fault. It is Lady Yui's misfortune," Taiitsukun said to her. Aika glared a bit.

"I'm sorry, Taiitsukun, but I'm not going to write this off as bad luck. She came here because it was the only way for me to go back to my world. As soon as Yui disappeared I should have known. I just…I don't know what I'm going to do," Aika said as she rubbed her forehead.

"Aika…" Kurama sighed a bit.

"Priestess, observe please," Taiitsukun said revealing a small mirror. Aika looked over at the mirror and it suddenly glowed. She then found herself floating over Konan.

"Okay, now what's going on? Why am I suddenly floating over Konan with no wings or something under me?" Aika asked curious.

"Is this a bad time to mention I hate heights?" Kurama asked as he clung onto Aika. Aika sweat-dropped. Everyone, this is the big bad Nine Tailed Fox we're talking about and he's clinging to Aika like a baby panda would it's mother.

"Look below you," Taiitsukun said. Aika did so and saw a part of the palace.

"Is that who I think it is?" Aika mumbled as she landed down by the Emperor in her astral form. "Hotohori."

"Your highness," Nuriko said walking up in his original clothing.

"Nuriko," Aika said.

"Aika…why is that guy dressed like a girl?" Kurama asked.

"Uh…you don't wanna know," Aika sweat-dropped.

"Please get some rest, Emperor. You haven't slept or eaten a proper meal in days and we're begging to worry about you," Nuriko said to Hotohori.

"My Empire is facing a foreign invasion and all I can think about is Aika's safety. My appetite won't return until she does," Hotohori stated shocking Aika.

"Wow, you're quite popular here, Kit," Kurama muttered.

"You worry too much, Sire. Tamahome and Chichiri went after her and the Priestess will always have Suzaku's protection," Nuriko assured.

"You are right. Knowing Aika, she'll return as bright, cheerful, and sweet as ever," Hotohori smiled while Aika blushed a bit.

"Hotohori…Nuriko…" Aika frowned a bit until she was back to floating over Konan. She heard people speaking.

"Is it true what they say? That Kutou's going to attack?"

"I've heard they've already occupied one of the water towns to the east!"

"Well, at least we have the Priestess of Suzaku."

"Oh yes. Without her, we'd be lost."

"It's true, the Priestess of Suzaku will save us." Aika looked down at them, touched by their comments about her.

"Do you understand now? You are no longer simply a girl named Aika Hitsubasa. Think of what you represent. You are the Priestess of Suzaku," Taiitsukun said before they were back in the bedroom. Aika fell to the floor on her knees. Kurama had rolled out of her arms and rubbed his head.

"That hurt, you know!" He growled.

"Sorry, Kurama," Aika said. Kurama huffed and jumped up onto her head, laying there.

"Well then, Priestess of Suzaku, have you figured out what you must do to make things right?" Taiitsukun asked.

 _"The Priestess of Suzaku will save us,"_ Aika remembered a guy saying.

 _'She's right. No matter how much I'm hurting, I'm no good to anyone shut inside my room. Going through the book and becoming the Priestess of Suzaku, it really happened and I can't run away from it anymore. Now I know what I have to do,'_ Aika thought with determination burning in her brown eyes. "Yes. I shall return to Konan and act as the Priestess of Suzaku should. I will find the rest of the Suzaku Seven and stop the summoning of Seiryuu," she stated.

"Well said, Aika," Taiitsukun said with a warm smile making Aika smiled back.

"That's right! My Kit is back!" Kurama said making Aika giggle a bit. Aika got up and walked to the double doors, opening them to reveal Tamahome and Chichiri. She smiled at them happily.

"Let's go back to Konan. I still have to find the last three remaining Warriors of the Suzaku Seven!" She said to them making the two men smile.

"Aika," Tamahome went over to hug her, but she walked right passed him. "Huh? Hey!"

 _'Tamahome, Yui and I are truly enemies now. The only way I can make things as they were is to gather all of the Suzaku Seven and summon Suzaku. They say Suzaku could grant me anything I desire. If that's true then Yui and I can become friends again and Konan will be saved. But to do that, no matter how much I love you…I have to do my best to forget about you because Yui is also in love with you. I can't stand hurting her anymore…'_

~0~

Yui was in her room, sitting on the window sill only wearing her shirt. She looked out at the scenery, not hearing Nakago come in.

"What's wrong, Lady Yui? What troubles you?" He asked walking over to her.

"Oh, nothing," she sighed looking back out the window.

"You've been thinking about that Warrior of Suzaku ever since we faced him in battle," Nakago stated.

 _"We are leaving! Come on!" Tamahome shouted to her._

"So you are thinking about him. Things may work out," Nakago said getting Yui's attention.

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked looking at him.

"That Warrior boy Tamahome, you desire him, don't you?" Nakago asked her. Yui nodded and Nakago let a mix of a smirk and smile show. "Well then, we will see to it you get your wish," he said making her look at him surprised.

~0~

Aika smiled when she saw Hotohori after they made it back to the Konan Empire. Kurama was currently on Tamahome's shoulder.

"Hotohori, I'm back," she said with that warm smile. Hotohori's eyes widened a bit as he stood.

"Aika," he said before running up and gathering her into his arms. "Praise Suzaku for watching over you," he said.

"Hmph," Tamahome hummed with jealousy. Kurama looked between the two and smirked.

 _'Aika, you really are popular here, aren't you?'_ He thought to himself.

"Yes. Chichiri took us to Taiitsukun's palace. I'm so sorry you had to worry about me, Hotohori," Aika said with a guilty frown. Hotohori looked at Tamahome and saw the jealousy in his eyes. Kurama jumped up onto Aika's head making Hotohori jump back with a small yelp. Aika giggled a bit. "Sorry about that. This is my friend Kurama, the Nine Tailed Fox."

"I was just a bit surprised. He is quite a beautiful creature though," Hotohori smiled as he pet Kurama's head.

"Aw shucks. I'm glad I have fur or I'd be blushing like Hinata when she sees Naruto. Okay, I like your choice in friends, Kit," Kurama said as he nuzzled Hotohori's hand. Aika giggled a bit as she remembered Hinata blushing like crazy for Naruto. He then jumped back into Tamahome's arms. Tamahome held him.

"Anyways, I'm pretty exhausted so I'll need some friends. But first, Chichiri, meet the Emperor," Aika smiled at her friend.

"Oh, hello?" Chichiri smiled as he waved.

"Aika!" Nuriko called running up.

"Nuriko!" Aika smiled as she run up and hugged her best friend here. "Still as stylish as ever, my friend."

"And you're still as cute as ever, Aika," Nuriko said as the two linked arms and started walking out of the room. "So, did you meet up with your friend?

"Well, that's kind of a long story," Aika said to him. Tamahome growled when they left.

"Of all the-!"

"Sheesh, Kit, calm down," Kurama said to him.

"'Kit'?" Tamahome asked.

"Well, you're a friend of Aika's. I'll call you 'Kit', I'll call them 'Kit'," he pointed two of his tails at Chichiri and Hotohori. "I'll call the guy in drag 'Kit', I'll call everyone close to Aika 'Kit'. Got a problem with that?!" Kurama growled a bit.

"N-not at all," Tamahome said with a nervous smile.

"That's right! Fear the fox, bitches!" Kurama smirked his grin while the three guys sweat-dropped at him. Hotohori looked at Tamahome with an intense gaze, a slight glare.

~0~

Aika was in her room having just changed into her night clothes that consisted of a red loose tank stop and black short shorts. Kurama was with her and dug through the bag of sweets.

"Aika, we have to talk!" Tamahome walked in and sweat-dropped when he saw Kurama with a mouth stuffed full of food. Aika sighed a bit and slapped the food out of Kurama's mouth. "What in the world are you doing?" He asked the fox.

"I'm starvin'! I needed something to eat and took too big a bite!" Kurama huffed as Tamahome picked up the bag that had some snacks in it.

"What were you eating?" Tamahome asked.

"Just some food I packed and brought from my world," Aika replied as Tamahome's eyes sparked when he looked in the bag. "Just a couple fruits you've never heard of before, some bubble gum, and sweets made of sugar and artificial flavor."

"A feast from another world!" Tamahome grinned before making it look like he was going to rob the food.

"Tamahome," Aika scolded.

"Wait a minute! I didn't come here for a bag full of magic goodies!" Tamahome said seriously before putting the bag down and looking at Aika. "Why do you keep avoiding me?" He asked.

"Uh…I-I'll leave you two alone," Kurama said grabbing a few apples before walking out of the room. Aika sighed a bit, knowing she had to face the music. She turned from him.

"Tamahome, in the morning I'm going to be looking for the rest of the Suzaku Seven," she started.

"What does that have to do with you and me, Aika?" Tamahome frowned.

"I'm the Priestess of Suzaku and you're one of the Suzaku Warriors. We have to clear our minds. That also means you should be careful about visiting my room. We don't want-." Aika was suddenly cut off by Tamahome kissing her. Aika pushed him away.

"Stop!" She said before they both landed on her bed, Tamahome hovering over her. "Let go," she said to him.

"In a minute. First you're going to tell me why you're really avoiding me and don't tell me it has to do with our titles!" Tamahome said with narrowed eyes.

"Don't you see?"

"See what?"

"You idiot, Yui's in love with you too!" Aika stated. They heard the door open and looked over to see Hotohori there with his sword. Tamahome stood and glared a bit.

"Your Majesty," Tamahome said bitterly. Hotohori glared at him and brought the blade of his sword to Tamahome's neck.

"Hotohori, don't! Stop!" Aika said standing up. Tamahome brought his arm out in front of her, stopping her. He lowered his arm when she backed up.

"If you have an excuse for being in the Priestess' courters I would like to hear it. This is an inexcusable breach of conduct," Hotohori stated firmly.

"I offer no excuses. But I will say this much for myself…I am in love with Aika and that's why I'll always challenge anyone for her hand," Tamahome said calmly, unafraid.

"Tamahome…" Aika whispered stunned. Hotohori stared at him for a moment before dropping his sword.

"You show great courage in the face of your kingdom's leader. Have no fear. You are of the Suzaku Seven. I will not kill you. However, if you were not of the Suzaku Seven and we were both just ordinary men then there would be a reckoning," Hotohori said with a slight glare before looking at Aika. "Aika, only one man can truly love you," he said before sheathing his sword and leaving her room. As soon as the door closed, Tamahome crouched down.

"Man was I scared! You don't even wanna know how scared I was just know!" He exclaimed nervously.

"You idiot! What if he lopped off your head in the heat of the moment?! Why do you wanna make the Emperor mad?! He's the most important man in the kingdom and if he-!" Aika was grabbed by the shoulders and forced to sit down while Tamahome hovered over her again.

"That doesn't matter to me where you're concerned. Do you know what this symbol on my forehead stands for?" Tamahome asked as his Ogre mark glowed. Aika looked at it before looking him in the eyes and saw a small smile. "Ever since I was a kid I've hated being stuck with this, but now I accept it because it's prove I'm a live to protect you and proof were meant for each other, Aika," he said softly to her. Aika's eyes widened before softening. She threw her arms around his neck.

"Tamahome," she whispered as tears prick her eyes. Tamahome wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Aika."

 _'It's no use, I can't stay away from him. Not when I love him this much,'_ she thought as she buried her face in his shoulder.

~0~

"The Priestess of Suzaku was in love with Tamahome and Tamahome was in love with the Priestess of Suzaku. When they embraced, their hearts were set on fire," Naruto read.

~0~

"Will you always stay with me, Tamahome? Will you never leave me?" Aika asked as they kept holding each other in their arms.

"Of course I won't, silly girl," Tamahome smiled.

 _'There's only you, Tamahome. Only you. Forgive me, Yui. Forgive me, Hotohori.'_

 **Kida: *Sweat-drops* I feel like I wrote something cheesy.**

 **Naruto: You did write something cheesy.**

 **Tamahome: But cheesy is good!**

 **Kida: You just like it because you got to kiss Aika!**

 **Tamahome: *Blushes***

 **Kida: *Smirks* That's what I thought. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please favorite and comment! Please inspire me to keep going!**


	14. For the Sake of Love

**Kida: We're getting close to finding the fifth member of the Suzaku Seven, people!**

 **Naruto: Who is it? Who is it? Who is it?!**

 **Kida: You'll find out in the next chapter!**

 **Tamahome: Not this one?**

 **Kida: Nope, this is where Aika begins her journey...and Kurama threatens to kill you.**

 **Tamahome: WHAT?!**

 **Kida: I, Kida Tenshi, do not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. I only own Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. I hope you all enjoy!**

Rescued from Kutou by Tamahome and Chichiri, the Priestess of Suzaku Lady Aika, was taken to Taiitsukun's palace on Mount Taikyoku to recover. There for the first time she learned the terrible truth of what had happened to her best friend, Lady Yui, when she arrived in Kutou three months earlier. Encouraged by the strange and mysterious powers of Taiitsukun, Lady Aika reaffirmed her duty as the Priestess of Suzaku and returned to Konan with renewed determination. But when she arrived, she found herself the object of desire in a burning battle between passions of Tamahome and the Emperor Hotohori.

 _'There's only you, Tamahome,'_ Aika thought as she held Tamahome. And so Lady Aika realized just how strongly her heart was now bound to Tamahome.

~0~

It was a new day and Naruto and Sasuke were at the training fields, sitting under a shaded tree. Hinata had joined them and was worried for Aika and Yui.

"The Priestess of Suzaku learned how Tamahome truly felt and returned his love with all her heart," Naruto read. He sighed. "Hard to believe the Priestess of Suzaku is my best friend. Believe it! She was never this popular with the boys here," he said earning a nudge from his wife.

"It's the truth. Not a lot of guys wanted to be around her," Sasuke said to Hinata who frowned.

"Well, at least someone loves her here," she said. Something caught Naruto's eye.

"But at that moment, Tamahome sensed an ominous presence."

~0~

Tamahome and Hotohori both suddenly sensed something dark and snapped their heads up. Tamahome held Aika close.

"Something is in here with us," Tamahome stated looking around.

"What is it?" Aika asked looking around. Hotohori opened the door.

"Be careful, both of you. I can sense something very evil in this room," Hotohori warned as he rushed over with Kurama. Kurama jumped up and stood beside Aika, growling with his tails whipping angrily.

"I can smell ya, bastard! Reveal yourself so I can sink my teeth into ya!" Kurama growled.

"Listen carefully," a male voice said.

"Who're you?" Tamahome demanded as he held Aika close.

"I bear a message from Kutou for the Priestess of Suzaku. Our forces have already occupied several villages in Konan. Your kingdom is ours for the taking if we wish. However, if the one member of the Suzaku Seven known as Tamahome is delivered to Kutou, we will advance no further," the Kutou assassin stated. Aika looked at Tamahome with worry.

"Deliver Tamahome to the enemy? I wouldn't let that happen!" Aika glared up as she had a kunai ready.

"Those are our terms. If the one member of the Suzaku Seven known as Tamahome is delivered to Kutou, we will advance no further," the assassin stated.

 _'But why in the world would Kutou want Tamahome?'_ Aika thought to herself until she remembered Yui.

 _"I love Tamahome more than you! I do! That's why I'm going to take him away!"_ _Yui shouted._

 _'Is that it? Is it Yui?'_ Aika thought as Chichiri and Nuriko ran in.

"Aika!" Nuriko called. "There's evil present."

"It's up there!" Chichiri shouted looking up. He used lightning and shot it up to the ceiling, making the Kutou assassin appear and fall to the ground. Hotohori attacked with his sword, cutting a piece of the mask before Tamahome kicked the assassin who dodged and jumped out the window. Nuriko stepped out of the room across from him.

"Kurama, go after him!" Aika ordered before Kurama ran out of the room.

"Stop right there!" He called. The assassin started running, Kurama running after him. "Have it your way then!" He broke up the stone railing before throwing it, hitting the wall instead of the assassin who jumped over the wall. "Oh no! He broke the palace wall! How awful!" Nuriko said 'nervously' before Tamahome elbowed his head.

"You broke the wall!" Tamahome and Kurama retorted before walking back into the room. "He's gone." Aika walked up to him as Kurama stood beside her.

"Tamahome, don't go, please. We have to find another way," she said, her eyes showing worry as her hand rested on his chest. Tamahome placed a hand on hers, holding it there before looking at Hotohori.

"Your Majesty, what's this about villages being attacked?" He asked.

"Three villages on the border, to the south west in the Juso Prefecture. They were attacked by soldiers wearing all black. Fortunately, their guards were vigilant and most of the residents made it to safety," Hotohori replied.

"Why would they go to all that trouble just to get Tamahome?" Nuriko asked. Kurama sighed.

"If we give them Tamahome, what would they want next?" He pointed out making Hotohori nod and look at Tamahome.

"Tamahome, do not concern yourself. Our military may be weaker than theirs, but we have never fallen to Kutou and never will."

"It's clear, Emperor. I don't sense anything evil around here," Chichiri stated.

"We had better get some rest before we have any more surprises. I doubt we will be disturbed again tonight," Hotohori said.

"All right," Tamahome replied. Soon others left and Aika looked at Tamahome with concerned.

"Tamahome?"

"The enemy is just one step away from taking away my own village, Aika," Tamahome said frustrated.

"You're not going to do what they ask, are you?" Aika asked worried.

"Don't worry, Aika. I'm not going to give into their plan. Get some sleep. I'm gonna stay up and watch over you for a little while," Tamahome said to her.

"You're not going to sneak off while I sleep?" Aika asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah right!" Tamahome said as Aika got back into bed. Aika took a hold of his hand.

"Fine, but I'm watching," she muttered, giving his hand a small squeeze.

"And here I thought we trusted each other," Tamahome chuckled a bit before returning the small squeeze. "Oh, do you want this back?" He asked taking out the necklace from under his shirt. Aika smiled a bit and kissed his hand softly.

"No, you keep it. Consider it a good luck charm. Seems to have worked so far," she mused making Tamahome smile as his other hand ran through her hair.

"Yeah, it has. Get some sleep," he said softly to her. Aika smiled a bit before she fell asleep. Tamahome watched her sleep for a while, thinking to himself. Kurama walked in when he saw Tamahome getting up to leave. He growled a bit and used one of his tails to trip him. Tamahome glared at him. "Kurama…"

"You are an idiot," Kurama glared coldly at him. "Don't you know how worried and frantic Aika will be when she learns you went to the Kutou Empire? I know you're worried about your family, but that's a reason to go off acting like an idiot," he stated.

"If it means keep Konan and my family safe, then I'll happy be called an idiot. I'm not just doing this for them, I'm doing this for Aika," Tamahome stated.

"By running off to Yui? That's what you're doing. Yui is the reason you are the one they want in Kutou. Yui loves you. At least that's what Aika told me. Yui even confessed it to her and that she would take you away. If you break Aika's heart then the Suzaku Seven will become the Suzaku Six," Kurama growled before leaving the room. Tamahome thought about what he said before looking at Aika.

"Tamahome…" Aika whispered in her sleep. He got up and walked over to the bed. He bent down and softly kissed Aika on the lips.

"Aika," Tamahome whispered, his lavender eyes looking at her lovingly and sadly. _'I'm sorry, Kurama…I have to do this to keep her safe,'_ he thought before sneaking out. He jumped up to the top of the wall and looked back. "Stay well, my love," he said before jumping down only to run into two black masked figures.

"Are you Master Tamahome?" One of them asked. Tamahome stood with narrowed eyes.

"So the Emperor of Kutou is promising to end this war if I come along with you?" He asked them.

"That is the promise, yes. You can take that horse," the man replied. Tamahome stared at them for a moment, hesitant.

~0~

Morning came and Aika was frantically looking around the rooms.

"Tamahome? Tamahome, where are you?!" She called with worry. Nuriko opened his door, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"What's the matter, Aika?" He asked.

"Nuriko, Tamahome is gone!" Aika said looking at him with worry.

"Aika," Hotohori voiced making her turn to see him walking up with his councilors. "What's wrong? Why are you so frantic?" He asked concerned. Kurama ran up to her and stood next to her.

"I have a good reason to be frantic. Tamahome was nowhere to be found this morning!" Aika said with a serious gaze. Hotohori's eyes widened.

"He didn't…"

"He left a message for me in this notebook, but I'm afraid I can't read it very well. It's written in this country's language and I haven't learned that much about the language," Aika said opening her notebook up for him. She handed it to him so he could read the Chinese characters. Hotohori read it and gasped a bit. "Hotohori, please….tell me he didn't…"

"Aika, I'm afraid you already know where he went," he said making her eyes widen. "He's gone off to Kutou to stop the war. The note says: 'While I'm in Kutou, use the break in the war to find the other three of the Suzaku Seven. When they're assembled, I'll make my way back to you'," Hotohori told her.

"No, that can't be right. He told me yesterday he wouldn't do anything so foolish. There must be some mistake. Please, that can't be what the message said…" Aika said, worry in her eyes while she tried to remain calm. Hotohori looked down sadly. Aika sighed slightly before walking away.

"Aika…" Nuriko frowned.

 _'Tamahome…you lied,'_ Aika thought upset. Kurama watched her leave before looking down with his ears flattened. He then glared at the castle wall and growled.

"Son of a bitch…I warned him," he hissed.

"What do you mean, Kurama?" Nuriko asked.

"He was about to leave last night until I stepped in. I warned him that if he left and hurt Aika that there wouldn't be any Suzaku Seven anymore. More like Suzaku Six," Kurama said as his tails swished angrily.

"While I would normally agree, I'm afraid we need him, Kurama. Maybe after we are finished with all of this," Hotohori said to him. Kurama smirked.

"I like the way you think, Kit," he stated.

~0~

Hotohori stamped some papers with his signature while he listened to Aika. He looked at her as well as Nuriko, Chichiri, and Kurama.

"You are going to look for the other three Warriors?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I'm as rested as I can be," Aika smiled though Kurama knew it was fake.

"You could end up searching for them forever because with the Scroll of the Universe of the Four Gods in Kutou's hands, you'll have no clue where in all the Empire's to begin," Hotohori pointed out. Aika sighed a bit.

"I know that." Hotohori thought he offended her.

"Aika, I believe you can pull off anything," he tried to reassure until he saw something in her hand. "Huh? What's that?" He asked her. It was red with black rimming and a gold flower in the middle.

"A gift," Aika replied. She then thought to when Taiitsukun gave it to her.

 _"Instead of Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods, focus on that hand mirror and you'll know if you're getting closer to the Suzaku Seven," Taiitsukun had told her._ Aika smiled a bit as she looked down at the mirror.

"This will help me find them. Bye," Aika said before turning to leave.

"Aika," Hotohori said making her stop and look at him.

"Yes, Hotohori? What is it?" She asked him. Hotohori started at her for a moment.

"Ah, forget about it. Just be careful," he said to her. Aika frowned slightly, wondering what he had wanted to say. She then left with Nuriko and Kurama who was laying on her head. Chichiri had stared at Hotohori for a minute before following Nuriko and Aika. They left the capitol then. Aika was riding her own horse this time, having done a little practicing. Kurama sat in front of her while Nuriko and Chichiri road their own horses.

"Wow, the sky is just as blue as it is back home," Aika smiled a bit. Kurama and Nuriko frowned knowing she was trying to act like this morning didn't faze her.

"Kit…"

"Anyways, when we come to a place that's connected to one of the Suzaku Seven, this hand mirror will let me know somehow," Aika said to the two of her Warriors.

"Is it doing anything?" Nuriko asked her. Aika looked at the mirror Kurama was holding.

"Aika, it's starting to show a symbol!" Kurama told her as the symbol appeared.

"Mountain," Aika read.

"Mount Reikaku is up ahead, but we will have to be careful. It's a well-known haven for mountain bandits," Nuriko warned.

"Don't worry, Chichiri will know if anything's up," Aika smiled until she saw Chichiri wasn't behind him. "Okay! Where'd the hell did that monk go!?"

~0~

Hotohori sighed as his closed hand supported his chin up. He opened his eyes and gasped a bit when he saw Chichiri under his deck.

"Ch-Ch-Chichiri," he stammered from shock.

"Just thought I'd stop by for a chat, ya know!" Chichiri told him.

"What sort of a chat?" Hotohori asked sweat-dropping.

"If you don't mind my saying so, Emperor, you seem very depressed, ya know," the monk observed. The Emperor of Konan stood and turned from him as Chichiri sat cross legged on the desk.

"I might be the Emperor, but I'm also a human being with feelings of my own even though the kingdom comes first. Not that Tamahome has given himself to save the kingdom, my one wish is to stay by Aika's side to serve as her protector in Tamahome's absence," Hotohori explained.

"Seems to me you need some to fill in for you while you're off adventuring, ya know," Chichiri smiled doing a hand seal.

"I'm sorry?" Hotohori asked turning as Chichiri transformed. Hotohori was shocked to see Chichiri had turned into him. Hotohori then sweat dropped to see the eyes were close liked Chichiri normally would have.

"We could be twins, ya know! The kingdom is safe for the time being. Shouldn't be any harm in letting me substitute while you protect Aika, ya know!" Chichiri said to him.

"Chichiri, you would do this for me?" Hotohori asked, flatter in his tone. Chichiri nodded. "I guess, all I can say…is that I'm much more handsome," he said making Chichiri sweat-drop. "My eyes are open, the bridge of my nose is far more prominent, and my body is more sexy. Refine your appearance immediately or you'll make me look-!"

"Slow down, Emperor. This is as good as it gets, ya know!"

~0~

Right now Aika, Nuriko, and Kurama stopped at a restaurant to get something to eat.

"Order something with beef!" Kurama said to Aika. Aika sweat-dropped with a look.

"You're one bossy fox, you know," she muttered before looking at the waiter. "I'll have some chicken and beef please," she smiled kindly.

"I'll be right back with your food," the waiter smiled back before leaving to go get the food. Aika stretched a little.

"Too bad Chichiri gets to miss out on this, wherever that monk went," she mused.

"I wouldn't let him anywhere near my beef!" Kurama exclaimed, possessive of his meat.

"And here I thought the Nine Tails was supposed to be scary. You're just like a possessive little hound," Aika mumbled.

"Hey! Watch it, Kit!" Kurama warned, hitting her with one of his tails. Nuriko was watching the two and frowned when he saw Aika didn't look upset. He knew better.

"Aika, you don't have to force yourself to be cheerful anymore. You're worried about Tamahome," Nuriko told her.

"I'm not worried, you are," Aika said trying to brush it off.

"NOT ME! YOU!" Nuriko shouted breaking the table in half with his fists. Aika and Kurama sweat-dropped.

"What the hell-?" Kurama asked.

"They just don't make tables the way they used to," Nuriko said with a nervous laugh.

"No, they just don't make them for your damn strength!" Kurama exclaimed. The three then moved to the table next to the broken one.

"So you're not worried about Tamahome at all, huh?" Nuriko asked disbelievingly.

"They made his choice. No sense crying over it," Aika said as the waiter sweat-dropped at the sight of the broken table before he set the tray of food down.

"Here is your food," the waiter smiled.

"Oh, it looks wonderful. Thank you," Aika smiled happily. Kurama sniffed the food and drooled.

"Smells like heaven to me!" He grinned before Aika ate her chicken.

"Well, maybe you wanna hide your feelings, but I don't buy it," Nuriko said crossing his arms. Aika suddenly saw a table with two guys, a customer and the waiter. Her eyes narrowed at how suspicious they looked. Nuriko followed her gaze discretely. "Those guys are up to something," he stated.

"Yeah," Kurama agreed before looking at his beef. He pushed the plate away with his paw as Aika moved her plate away. She stood as the waiter came to attack with his sword until Nuriko grabbed the blade.

"Aika, you've gotta get out of her! These guys are working with the mountain bandits! Run for it!" Nuriko shouted until Kurama jumped up and clawed the guy's eyes out. The bandit ran away crying in pain.

"Screw that! I'm not leaving you!" Aika said to him. She saw the other coming and had her kunai ready to attack.

"Aika!" Kurama shouted.

"I want that money!" The man shouted as he went to hit her with the weapon. He suddenly groaned in pain. Kurama jumped and hit him hard with his tails making him fall to reveal Hotohori who had stabbed the man with his sword.

"Hotohori!" Aika exclaimed.

"Your Highness," Nuriko said relieved to see him. Aika sighed a bit and put her kunai away.

"I never get any action," she mumbled with a slight pout. Hotohori chuckled.

"Sorry about that, Aika. Maybe next time," he said to her. Kurama laughed a bit.

"Ninja girls, they always wanna fight the big guys!"

"I'll fight you right now if you don't shut up," Aika said to him.

"I'd like to see ya try, Kit," Kurama smirked as she jumped up into her arms.

~0~

"So, Chichiri is taking your place as Emperor while you're gone. But why are you doing this?" Aika asked after they had left the restaurant. They were now in a forest.

"Because I was worried about you. And I'm worried about Tamahome," Hotohori replied. Aika smiled.

"But you don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself," she assured him as he handed her a note. She looked at it. "This is the note Tamahome left for me."

"There are some rooms on the page next to his message. Do you know their meaning?" Hotohori asked as she looked at it. "It says 'I love you'. This is how Tamahome feels about you from the bottom of his heart," he said while Aika looked at it with slightly wide eyes. "To protect his family, his country, and above all, to protect you, the one he loves more than anything, Tamahome gave himself to the enemy." Aika looked down.

"It's my fault…of course. I…I didn't want to believe he gave himself up for me," she said to him.

 _"Will you always stay with me, Tamahome? Will you never leave me?" Aika asked as they kept holding each other in their arms._

 _"Of course I won't, silly girl," Tamahome smiled._

"He said he'd stay with me," Aika whispered as tears started flooding down her cheeks. Hotohori frowned and pulled her to his chest. They didn't know Nuriko and Kurama were watching them. Aika pulled back and wiped her tears. "I'm sorry," she murmured before looking at Hotohori. Hotohori leaned into kiss her until she pulled away and turned. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"That much? You love Tamahome that much, Aika? I know that you don't love me, but I had hoped you'd get to know me. Maybe it's unfair for me to tell you this now, but I love you, Aika. I have loved you from the moment we first met," Hotohori said making her think back to when she was lost on the courtyard and she met him.

"I'm sorry, Hotohori…I'm so sorry," Aika whispered as fresh tears came to her eyes.

"Aika! Watch out!" Kurama shouted as a spike trap came hurdling towards Aika and Hotohori.

"Aika!" Hotohori shouted as he tackled her to the ground.

"Aika! Your Highness! Stay down!" Nuriko shouted as he ran up. He was suddenly hit and knocked out.

"Nuri-!" Kurama shouted until he was knocked out as well. The last thing Aika heard was someone laughing.

~0~

Aika woke up to find her wrists and ankles tied up. She sat up and struggled.

"Dammit," she hissed. She looked over and saw Nuriko, Hotohori, and Kurama tied up as well. "Hotohori! Nuriko! Kurama!" She called to wake them up.

"Shut up, I have a damn headache," Kurama muttered before seeing he was tied up. "OKAY! WHOEVER TIED ME UP BETTER BE READY TO HAVE THEIR THROATS RIPPED OUT!" He growled as he struggled. Nuriko and Hotohori woke up.

"Aika," Hotohori said as they sat up.

"What a relief. Any injuries?" Aika asked receiving head shakes. "I wonder where we are now," she mumbled.

"The last thing I remember was running toward the two of you," Nuriko said.

"And I remember seeing you get knocked out," Kurama grumbled. Aika looked at Hotohori's m and frowned.

"You idiot, you said you didn't get hurt. You're bleeding," she stated.

"It's nothing," Hotohori said as he shifted and groaned when he felt pain in his arm.

"Hotohori, you got hurt when you pushed me out of the way of those spikes," she said as she did her best to move over to him. "You saved my life," she added looking at him. Suddenly the door opened to reveal five men.

"Well, well, it seems the prisoners are awake."

"You're pretty stupid not to know who we are."

"Yeah, we're famous. We're the mighty bandits of Mount Reikaku."

"We'll accept this gold as your toll payment for safe passage," a guy said holding Aika's bag up.

"From here on you'd better do as we say and don't try anything stupid." Aika glared at them.

"Oh shut up! I have a headache and hearing you all talk isn't making it any better! I don't care who the hell you are so just shut your damn traps!" She snapped irritated.

"Uh oh…Aika's pissed," Kurama sweat-dropped a he hid behind Hotohori.

"Quite the feisty one, isn't she?" One of the guy smirked as he walked up to her.

"I'm not feisty…I'm fiery!" Aika said doing hand seals. "Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" She said before fire blew out of her mouth. The man ran around screaming while he was on fire.

"Something tells me the boss will like her," a man said before Aika glared at him.

"Try taking me to your boss and I'll use lightning next time!" She growled making the guy yelp and jump back. She was suddenly punched in the head. "Hey! What the hell?!" She asked as a guy with blue hair got up her by her tied wrists.

"Where'd the little brat come from? She reminds me of Genrou," he said meaning when he saw her fire ability.

 _'One of these guys has to have the Mountain symbol on him. I remember the mirror showed me that symbol when we came close to here,'_ Aika thought to herself.

"Koji!"

"I came because the boss wants me to bring him one of these prisoners. We might as well make it the biggest trouble maker," Koji smirked.

"Aika!" Hotohori called.

"Let her go, ya scum!" Kurama growled.

"If you're gonna take someone then take me!" Nuriko called. Aika inwardly smirked but smiled at her friends.

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm not scared of these, idiots," she said before hopping over to them. She bent down in front of them. "I got an idea about this. If I'm right, one of these guys is the fifth member of the Suzaku Seven. Just wait here and rest if you can. After all, you've been hurt, Hotohori. Kurama, keep them safe for me," Aika whispered making Kurama nod until she was grabbed away.

"Move it! We've got business," Koji said dragging her.

"Yeah, yeah, take me to your boss, jerk," Aika muttered.

"But-!" Hotohori went to protest. The blond who first spoke went up to Hotohori.

"Hey, baby, you're pretty fine. Wanna serve us some drinks?" He asked wrapping his arms around him. "We could become good friends if you're nice."

"Baby? What the hell!?" Hotohori exclaimed.

"No offense, Emperor, but the mountain bandits here seem to think we're both women," Nuriko whispered to him. "They were probably fooled because we're both prettier than Aika is." Kurama laughed.

"You two? Women? Prettier than Aika? Stop! I can't take it!" He laughed.

"We're going to take these off," a man said taking their restrains off. Nuriko then punched Kurama, shutting him up.

"We have to play along with them long enough to buy Aika some time," Nuriko told Hotohori.

"But that means I have to pretend to be a common serving girl!" Hotohori hissed quietly.

"You can do it. Sheesh, it's not that hard. All ya do is flirt, act interested, and serve drinks," Kurama muttered. That's when the plan got into action. The guys sat at the table.

"Bring me my drink. You there!"

"One moment," Hotohori told them before putting something on. He then flipped his hair. "Their waiting for us, Nuriko," he said looking more attractive, surprising Nuriko and Kurama. "Please, let me serve you some more, big boy. What a tremendous drink you are," Hotohori fake smiled as he poured drinks. "I love men who can drink."

 _'The Emperor's enjoying this a little too much,'_ Nuriko sweat-dropped. Kurama was rolling around laughing.

"I-I wish-hahaha-N-Naruto could-hahahaha-could see this!" He laughed.

~0~

At the Kutou Palace, Tamahome was sitting cross legged on the floor, arms crossed as the two assassins stood by him.

"Welcome, Tamahome, Warrior of the Suzaku Seven," Nakago said appearing. Tamahome glared at him.

"You again," he sneered.

"I am Nakago. A Celestial Warrior just like yourself. I serve Seiryuu however."

"Seiryuu? Is that why you ordered this? Or is this just an excuse to get rid of me?" Tamahome glared as Nakago walked up. "So, now that you got me here, what's next?"

"I will use you to comfort the Lady Yui," Nakago smirked. He then grasped Tamahome's chin. "Besides, you may prove to be amusing to keep around. You're the first person who's ever hit me, so I'll keep things lively for you. I'd hate for you to die of boredom." Tamahome smirked.

"Heh, I'm surprised. You're a sloppy fighter," he said. Nakago smirked before slapping him.

"Nakago, keep away from him!" Yui shouted as she ran over. She gently wiped blood away from Tamahome's lip with her handkerchief.

"Ha, I've been slapped harder by children," Tamahome smirked at Nakago.

"Wait out in the hall way. I want time alone with the prisoner," Yui told Nakago and the assassins with a firm tone.

"As you wish, Priestess of Seiryuu," Nakago bowed his head to her before leaving with the assassins.

"I'm so sorry. I'll speak with him. I'll make sure he treats you better from now on," Yui said to Tamahome, her eyes softening.

"Forget about me. What about you? They must be doing something to force you to be the Priestess of Seiryuu for them. If I had been able to save you the first time, you wouldn't even be here," Tamahome said to her.

"I'm treated okay. I'm sort of surprised Aika let you come here," Yui told him.

"I left by myself in the middle of the night," Tamahome stated.

"I see…"

"But she'll be all right. I know she'll be able to find the other members of the Suzaku Seven without me. And once she has, I'll escape back to Konan along with you and Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods," Tamahome said as he stood and went to the window. "We just have to be patient," he said smiling at her over his shoulder.

"Right," Yui replied. She looked away with a smirk. _'Aika, no matter how hard you try, I'll make sure you fail. Now that I have Tamahome, you'll never see him again.'_

~0~

"There was no turning back. The Priestess of Suzaku was on her way to meet the bandit's leader," Naruto read before sharing looks with his wife and Sasuke.

 **Kida: *Coming up with plan on how to kill Yui***

 **Chichiri: She really doesn't like Yui, ya know!**

 **Tamahome: Yeah, we've noticed.**

 **Naruto: You idiot, you're trying to help Yui and you don't know that she chose to stay willing?!**

 **Tamahome: Last I checked, she was your best friend. Shouldn't you stand up for her?**

 **Naruto: She was my best friend. Was. NOW I'LL SMACK SOME SENSE INTO HER! BELIEVE IT!**

 **Kida: That's my Naruto! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please favorite and comment!**


	15. Wolf of the Fortress

**Kida: Tamahome! Why you leave?!**

 **Naruto: You made him leave!**

 **Kida: I did not! Yuu Watase did!**

 **Nuriko: Sure, blame it on someone else.**

 **Chichiri: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi, ya know. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs! Enjoy, ya know!**

Tamahome, stalwart Warrior of the Suzaku Seven, surrendered himself to become a prisoner of Kutou in order to save his friends and allies. The Lady Aika, broken heartedly, set out to find the three remaining Celestial Warriors. A feat she must accomplish before being reunited with her beloved Tamahome. A long the way, she was attacked by mountain bandits only to be rescued by Hotohori, the Emperor of Konan.

"Aika, do you really love Tamahome that much? I love you and have loved you from the moment we met," Hotohori told her.

"Aika! Watch out!" Kurama shouted as a spike trap came hurdling towards Aika and Hotohori.

"Aika!" Hotohori shouted as he tackled her to the ground. Nuriko and Kurama were then knocked out. Lady Aika ran right into an ambush and was once again captured by bandits.

~0~

Aika stood outside the door with Koji and the other bandits. Aika was a bit nervous about meeting the boss, but didn't show it.

"Knock, knock. Who's there? It's Koji, out here with one of the captured girls for the boss to check out! Koji, oh well, so good you're here! Come right in, won't ya? Thank you," Koji said doing a small talk to himself back and forth. He opened the door with a sign on his back, the others anime fell.

"Dude, you have some problems. Don't you know talking to yourself is a sign of being delusional?" Aika asked him before she was smacked upside the head. "HEY! You wanna be burnt to a crisp? Just say so!" She growled at the guy who smacked her making him shriek and jump back.

"Oh, Koji!" A heavy set man chuckled. "I've been waiting for you!" He said before drinking some sake. Aika looked at him and paled.

"W-what the hell?!" She asked.

"Be quiet and buck up," Koji told her. The boss looked her up and down in a perverted way.

"Yum…yummy…double yummy!" He laughed looking her over. "Okay! I'll take her!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Aika muttered.

"We'll leave her here then," Koji said making Aika look at him. She saw guilt in his brown eyes that made her frown.

 _'He doesn't want to leave me here,'_ she thought knowing that's what it was. He gave a small nod to her as if to say 'be careful'. She nodded with a slight smile which surprised Koji. He nodded to the men and left with them before closing the door. She then looked at the fatso with a glare. "Alright, pal, seeing as you're the one in charge, I happen to know one of your men carries the symbol on their body that swells up and glows red. Which one is it?" She demanded.

"Well, considering how many stinkin' fellas we've got, one or two of them might have hemorrhoids or somethin'. Even I get 'em! And those hurt!" The guy told her.

"That's gross, you idiot. I don't mean that. I mean a Chinese symbol that appears like a letter on their body," Aika stated with irritation. The man rubbed up against her, sickening her.

"If you're nice to me and do as I say, I'll tell you what you wanna know," the man smirked. Aika glared harshly. She did hand seals.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" She shouted before a small bit of fire shot out of her mouth. The man jumped back with fear.

"What the hell are you?!" He asked making Aika smirk.

"You'll find out if you don't answer my question," she said as she used her kunai to free herself of the ropes.

~0~

Nuriko and Hotohori kept up their charade of acting as women. Kurama was keeping his ears open for Aika in case she needed help.

"Here you are, help yourself," Nuriko said with a fake smile as he served food.

 _'Aika, I hope she's all right,'_ Hotohori thought with worry.

 _"Hey, don't worry about me," she said before hopping over to them. She bent down in front of them. "I got an idea about this. If I'm right, one of these guys is the fifth member of the Suzaku Seven. Just wait here and rest if you can. After all, you've been hurt, Hotohori. Kurama, keep them safe for me," Aika whispered before she was taken away._ Hotohori looked over at his sword he suddenly met gazes with the blonde bandit who was blushing from alcohol consumption.

"What's wrong with you?" Hotohori asked, trying to hide how uncomfortable he is.

"Not a thing. You're such a beautiful lady, I just wanna know you. That's all!" He smiled. Hotohori made his voice a little higher before pretending to giggled.

"Oh you. People tell me that but Nuriko has a much better figure than I do. Really," he acted.

"Oh, she's not my type at all," the blonde said making Nuriko glare before crushing a sake bottle in his hand.

"Break you to pieces," he grumbled.

"I agree with Din. Eikan's a real idiot for taking over the gang while Genro's gone. What's he thinking?"

"No kiddin'! That sack of scum's throwing his weight around way too much."

"Just because he's got a little power now, right?" The blonde was now rubbing up against Hotohori's chest while Hotohori listened to the conversation.

"Yeah, he's slobbering all over that teenage girl in there. She looks young, probably a virgin."

"Well, if she was a virgin that pig will make sure she won't be for long." Hotohori slapped his hands down on the table.

"Nuriko!" He ordered before the purple haired Warrior used the table to push the bandits into a wall. Nuriko clapped his hands off.

"Hey! Wait! Are you two men?" A guy asked while Hotohori drew his sword.

"Oh, you finally figured it out, morons," Hotohori retorted. "Kurama, could you do something about this?" He asked meaning the blonde who was hugging his legs.

"It would be my pleasure," Kurama smirked.

"I don't care if you're really a man, I think you're really special and-!" Kurama used his tails to drag the guy away.

"Permission to do as I please, Kit?" He asked.

"Go right ahead," Hotohori replied. All that was heard was the guy's screams.

~0~

Aika had been strong enough to hold Eikan off, but he managed to grab her and took her weapons away.

"Let me go, you pig!" Aika shouted, her clothes all messy.

"Come on now, be a good girl!" Eikan grinned throwing her down onto the bed. "You better do what I tell you to or else," he smirked holding a knife up.

~0~

Outside the room was Koji and heard the girl scream.

"Tamahome!" She shouted in fear.

"Tsk, oaf," Koji muttered before going to walk off until he heard Aika's scream again making him stop. He felt guilty about leaving her in there, but he kept walking on. He opened the door and his eyes widened. "What the-?" He saw the bandits in a pile with Nuriko sitting on them, petting Kurama. "Oh, it's you. What happened here?" Koji asked until a blade was at his throat.

"Where's Aika?" Hotohori growled before beside him. "Answer me."

~0~

Aika screamed as she tried to get away. Her red coat was off and her leggings and boots were beginning to slip off and her skirt was being hiked up.

"Let me go!" She shouted.

"You outta keep your mouth shut or you'll never find out who has the body symbol," Eikan smirked as he brought the knife to her throat. Aika gasped slightly.

 _"When all the Suzaku Seven are assembled, I swear I'll come back to you,"_ Tamahome's voice rang in her head.

 _'Tamahome…Yui…As soon as I find the other Warriors then Tamahome will come back and once the mission's accomplished, I'll get Yui back too,'_ Aika thought laying there.

"Good, quiet just like a little mousy mouse," Eikan laughed. Aika then smirked and kicked him off. She rolled over to her weapons and grabbed a kunai.

"You're going to pay for this," she glared, ready to attack. She was about to do a hand seal until she heard crumbling and look over to see cracks in the wall. It's then there was a whole in the wall that revealed Nuriko who had punched it. Some of the stone hit Eikan, making him fall. "Nuriko!" Aika smiled in relief.

"Aika, are you all right?" Hotohori asked holding his arm as he walked over to her.

"What has she been eating?" Koji asked looking at Nuriko who flexed his muscles.

"Hotohori!" Aika said resting her head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Thank goodness. I'm so sorry you had to go through this," Hotohori smiled in relief was he rested his chin on her head.

"I thought you couldn't move because of your injury," Aika light scolded. "Are you all right?"

"I am fine. Really. Aika, when Tamahome's away, I shall protect you," Hotohori smiled softly as he cupped her cheek. "Understand?" He asked as tears began to gather in Aika's eyes.

 _"Hotohori, you know about me and Tamahome and still you care so…'_ she thought. Eikan sat up groaning in pain before Hotohori placed the hip of his blade at the bandit's nose making Eikan nervous. Nuriko had his arms crossed as he glared at the bandit. Kurama was growling.

"This girl is the Priestess of Suzaku. Any abuse of her or misconduct in her presence is punishable by death," Hotohori glared at him.

"No, wait, don't kill him. We have to get him to tell us who has the symbol on their body. We need to know," Aika stated as she looked at Hotohori.

"Well, how about just a little torture then instead?" Nuriko asked holding Eikan's arm. Aika smirked a bit.

"Go for it, my friend," she replied making Nuriko grin and pull Eikan's arm back. Eikan cried in pain.

"Okay! I'll tell you! Let go! Tasuki! Tasuki has a character on his body! Let me go!" Eikan cried as a man arrived by the room.

 _'Tasuki. Number five. We've found the fifth Warrior, Tamahome,'_ Aika smiled a bit before glaring at Eikan.

"So, tell us where we can find this guy," she demanded. Suddenly she was blown back.

"What's happening?!" Nuriko asked from the harsh winds.

"Aika?" Kurama looked around not seeing the girl.

"Aika!" Hotohori called. Koji's eyes widened as he looked over at a man with fiery orange hair and hazel eyes.

"Genro," he said seeing Genro was holding Aika.

"Oh, it's you. So you're finally back," Eikan sneered. Hotohori ran up with a glare.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?!"

"Long time no see, Eikan. So I go away for a while and you take over the whole operation, eh?" Genro asked smirking, Aika over his shoulder. "You even got yourself a bride, quite a trick for a piglet like you," he said.

"Oh hell now! I am not his bride!" Aika exclaimed with a tick mark.

"You married him?" Nuriko asked.

"Man, are you deaf?" Kurama asked Nuriko.

"I'm not his damn bride! I don't even know him! I wouldn't marry him even if I did know him!" Aika shouted.

"In that case, I'll take her," Genro said looking at Aika over his shoulder.

"No you won't!" Hotohori shouted rushing to attack. Genro smirked as he took out some seals.

"Ninjutsu una shintarou!" He shouted before four shadow wolves with glowing gold eyes appeared.

"Ninjutsu?!" Aika breathed shock. One of the wolves landed on Hotohori.

"Watch out!" Nuriko shouted before he and Heikan were tackled by wolves. Kurama was then being pinned by a wolf.

"Catch you later," Genro smirked at them.

"Aika!" Hotohori shouted before Genrou started running with Aika over his shoulder.

"Aika!" Nuriko and Kurama shouted.

"Hotohori! Nuriko! Kurama!" Aika called.

"Eikan, if you ever want this girl back, you'll have to face me and fight for the boss's seat!" Genro laughed.

"AIKA!" Hotohori shouted before killing the wolf. He then saw that what he sliced was a paper talisman. "Paper."

"Oh yeah?!" Eikan punched the wolf away and moved a cushion. "I'll show him a thing or two!" He said opening a box and taking out a fan. "Rekka Shinen!" He shouted as fire appeared from the wave of the fan. Nuriko got out of the way after grabbing Kurama and the wolves were killed. Nuriko got them out and shielded himself.

"What the heck? Paper wolves and a fan that shoots fire?" Nuriko asked.

"Not totally uncommon were Aika and I come from," Kurama muttered in his arms.

"Nuriko! Kurama!" Hotohori called. The two looked over to see Hotohori behind a wall.

"Wow, sire, you ran out of there pretty fast," Nuriko said jogging over.

"I wasn't running away! I was chasing after Aika!" Hotohori protested as Nuriko jumped over the wall.

"Uh huh, sure," Nuriko said, a smirk in his tone.

"No! I really was!" Hotohori argued as he followed him.

"Whatever you say, Kit," Kurama smirked. His eyes then widened "Aika!" He shouted jumping out of Nuriko's arms and running ahead.

"Kurama! Wait up!" Nuriko shouted as they chased after him.

"You little twerp Genro! Whaddaya mean I have to fight you for the boss's position, huh?! As long as I've got this fan, you don't dare stand a chance against me, little kid! Come and try! Bring it on!" Eikan shouted.

~0~

Once at a house, Genro through Aika down to the ground.

"Ouch, dammit!" Aika glared at him as she rubbed her lower back.

"Only me and my buddy know about this place so no one's gonna come rescue you," Genro said taking his jacket off. "Sorry, I don't have anything against ya personally, but I gotta use you as a bargaining chip," he said gently gripping her chin, his face inches from hers. "Do whatever you're told and I won't hurt ya," he said before bringing his lips closer to kiss her. His lips brushed hers before he let her go. "Anyways…how did some of Eikan's clothes get burned?" He asked surprising her.

"Uh…I-I did that," Aika said to him, blushing slightly from the almost kiss.

"Eh? You?…How'd you do it?" Genrou asked curious. Aika stood up and dusted her clothes off.

"Pretty simple really, I'm a ninja. Well…kinda," Aika muttered while Genro rose an eyebrow. "I'm not a full-fledged ninja, but I've trained," she clarified making the orange haired man nod.

"Can ya show me how you got him?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure," Aika stammered. She faced away from him, only turning to the right so he wouldn't get hurt. She did hand seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" She called before small balls of fire flew out of her mouth surprising Genro.

"Whoa…is that all you can do or is there more?" He asked her.

"Well, I can do other fire based jutsus. I can also do lightning based," Aika replied. "I also happen to be the Priestess of Suzaku," she admitted.

"Really? From what I've heard, you're a good fighter," Genro said making her blush. "Huh, normally I'm not so into girls because they're normally pains in the ass, but you're a different story, Aika," he said ruffled her hair a bit.

 _'W-what just happened here?'_ Aika thought as she blushed. "Anyways, do you happen to carry any symbols on you? I've been looking for the Seven Suzaku Warriors. Do you happen to be Tasuki?" She asked him. Before Genro could answer, the was a knock at the door.

"Knock, knock. Who's there? It's Koji. Koji who? Genro's buddy, that's who! Oh great! Come right on in! Thank you," Koji said opening the door. Aika anime fell.

"Dude, I said it before and I'll say it again. I think you need help!" She told him.

"Koji!" Genro said a bit surprised. The two hooked arms and started dancing around a little. "Long time no see, man!"

"Whaddaya talkin' about? I was at the joint when you took the girl! You didn't see me?! That's cold, bro!"

"Great, now they dance," Aika muttered. Suddenly Genro was knocked and yelped when he saw an angry Nine Tailed Fox on him, growling.

"Give me one good God damn reason I shouldn't rip your throat out!" Kurama growled at him.

"Kurama! Stop!" Aika called making the fox look over at her.

"Aika!" Kurama said before running over and jumping into her arms. Aika hugged him.

"Is that really a fox?" Genro blinked as he got up.

"No! I'm a pretty little pony who's gonna kill you with rainbows!" Kurama snapped sarcastically.

"Kurama, enough. Genro's not going to hurt me," Aika said calmly as she pet him. Kurama glared at Genro before going up onto Aika's head and laying there.

"He better not or I'll kill him, Kit," he grumbled.

"I know," Aika sighed as she patted his head.

"Anyways, were they just dancing?" Kurama asked.

"Yup…weird for me too," Aika replied while the two men sweat-dropped.

"There's a talking fox on her head," Koji muttered. Genro nodded.

"Yeah, I see it too."

~0~

"Meanwhile, Tamahome remained in the Kutou Palace. He thought of Aika and her difficult Mission. Where the Warriors of Suzaku discovered yet?" Naruto read before sighing slightly. "What an adventure."

~0~

Tamahome home was sitting in the windowsill with his knee propping his elbow up, looking out at the night sky.

"Tamahome," Yui walked in.

"Yui," Tamahome greeted looking over as he got out of the window.

"Look what I've got for you. I thought you'd look good in them. What do you think?" Yui asked showing him the clothes.

"Uh, no thanks. The clothes I've got are fine," Tamahome assured.

"Well, can I get you something to eat? Are you hungry? I'll bring you anything you want," Yui smiled as she set the clothes down. "How about some sake? If you want I'll sneak some in."

"I said I'm fine. Really, I'm okay. You don't have to fuss. I'm sure that you've had enough of your own troubles to worry about," Tamahome said with a small smile.

"Troubles of my own?" Yui asked making Tamahome's head snap up. "You know? Y-you know what happened to me?"

"N-no," Tamahome said, a little upset that he might have made her cry.

"Oh, so Aika knows what happened to then? How those men attacked me? And then Nakago found me, I guess. He was with me when I woke up. I was done for, almost dead when he brought me to Kutou. And when I finally began to realize what had happened to me, the first thing I tried to do was…" Yui looked at her scarred wrist. "I was treated right away. Even now I think about and I wonder why I didn't die then!" Yui said as she started to cry.

"Please stop! That's enough!" Tamahome exclaimed.

"I wish I had died!" Yui cried before throwing herself into Tamahome's chest. "I didn't want you to know! I wish I was dead! I do! I do!"

"Oh Yui…" Tamahome murmured as he placed his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. _'Oh no, what should I do? What can I say to her? Help me, Aika. What should I do?'_ He thought. Outside the window, Nakago smirked as he listened to them.

~0~

"Really? You mean you were supposed to be the boss?" Aika asked Genro.

"That's it, yep," Genro nodded.

"Then the old boss died about a month ago and you weren't around. Eikan jumped at the chance to take over and made himself boss. You would have won. The boss talked about you a lot, till his very last breath," Koji told his friend.

"He did?" Genro asked. Aika stood with Kurama still on her head.

"Well, I'm gonna help you!" She said.

"Huh?!" The two men looked at her surprised.

"We're going to take Eikan down so you can take the rightful position as leader!" Aika smiled warmly as she held her hand out to Genro.

"No way! I can't ask that of ya, Aika!" Genro said as he stood up.

"Yes, you can. I want to help you because I happen to know you're a good guy, Genrou. If you want to pay me back then just tell me who Tasuki is. Plus, I wanna kick Eikan's ass for what he did to me. Well, Genrou, what do you say?" She asked him. Genro was stunned by what she said. He looked at her hand before grasping it and shaking it.

"You've got yourself a deal, Aika," he smirked at her.

"Right. Genro, Koji, Kurama, let's go do this," Aika smiled at them.

"Right behind ya, Kit!" Kurama smirked.

~0~

"Listen! Don't let your guard down for even one minute. Genro's most likely to strike in the middle of the night so stay on your toes, men!" Eikan said before the bandits cheered. Aika, Kurama, Genro, and Koji had snuck in and were listening.

"What a bunch of idiots," Kurama muttered.

"You're telling me," Aika muttered as well.

"You and the whole gang, all of them do Eikan's bidding. Ingrates!" Genro glared.

"They only do what he says because nobody can stand up to his favorite little keepsake from the old boss," Koji stated.

"Keepsake?" Aika asked curious.

"The fan!" Koji grinned.

"What's so special about the fan?" Aika asked wanting details.

"It's made out of solid iron," Genro stated.

"Kinda like the fans from back home," Kurama told Aika who nodded.

"It's a bewitched fan that he can trigger with a spell to blast out fire and burn ya to ashes instantly," Koji said.

"Tell me about it, I almost lost a tail," Kurama muttered.

"We have to get it back from that scoundrel," Genro said.

"And we will," Aika assured as the orange haired bandit took out talismans. "Oh, those are the papers you used to summon those wolves, right?" She asked.

"Yes, it is. It's an illusion spell. They're talismans I got from a master sorcerer I met while I was traveling. Whatever you write on them can be conjured as a phantom," Genro said as she looked at them.

"Amazing. That's pretty cool, almost like an illusion I can do," Aika smiled as she handed them back.

"I'll sneak into the other side," Koji said before leaving.

"Come on, we better go," Aika said making Genro nod and they followed. Genro was about to follow Koji until a blade was at his throat.

"We have found you, villain. If Aika is harmed in any way, you will die by my sword," Hotohori glared.

"Hotohori! Nuriko!" Aika smiled when she saw them. "I'm so glad you're safe!" Nuriko was strangling Koji.

"Aika?" Hotohori asked surprised while Nuriko stopped and looked over.

"Uh, I thought that was supposed to be our line," Nuriko said.

"Hehe…you two Kits are in for a surprise," Kurama said.

~0~

Soon they had snuck into the hideout and Aika told Nuriko and Hotohori everything.

"I think I understand. Aika, are you sure you want to help them?" Hotohori asked the young Priestess. Aika nodded.

"Of course. Tasuki is around here somewhere and Genro promised he'd tell me if I help. Plus, they need our help," she said making Hotohori smile.

"You always do what is right. That's what I love about you," he said before gasping a little. They looked down to see the blonde bandit hugging him around the waist.

"I found you!" He said before Hotohori freaked and the others sweat-dropped.

"NURIKO!" Hotohori said wanting this guy off. Aika sighed and kicked the guy off.

"Jeez! He's not interested, okay!" She exclaimed making Genro smirk.

"There they are!" A man said.

"They scoped us!" Koji said.

"Just leave them to me. Ready, Aika?" Genro smirked.

"Ready when you are, Genro," Aika smirked back as she took a kunai out, ready to attack. Genro took out talismans and summoned wolves. Aika did a hand seal.

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" She shouted before fire flew out of her mouth.

"Aika!" Hotohori called. Eikan used his fan and made her flames disappear.

"What the hell?!" Aika's eyes narrowed.

"So Genro, you're here. You can't get your magic to work, huh?" Eikan smirked.

"Your Majesty?" Nuriko growled.

"No, Nuriko. We cannot afford to take the chance. Remember that Tasuki might be among them," Hotohori reminded.

"So, after all that talk, these guys aren't gonna help us fight," Genro glared.

"Man that stinks!" Koji agreed.

"You guys gonna fight or ya just gonna sit around like a bunch of gashes?!" Eikan asked.

"Talk for yourself!" Aika shouted running up. She jumped up and kicked him in the face before grabbing the fan. "I believe this fan belongs to Genro. Not you, you disgusting pig," she glared before doing a tornado kick on him. "Now, I've had it up to here with all of you. First you kidnap us for no reason, then you take me to this ass to have me almost nearly raped, you tried to hurt my friends….I should do far worse than beat you," Aika said picking the guy up the throat after focusing chakra into her arm and hand. "And all of you, you guys in the gang, why do you put up with this conman? This impostor. You know who is supposed to lead. You fight your old boss' friend because you're scared of a fan? You…You call yourselves men?" She glared, feeling Tamahome's strength in her. She did a high kick on Eikan before letting him fall and looking at Genro. "Here, Genro. Right where it belongs," she said handing him the fan. Genro smirked and took it.

"My fan…" Eikan whined.

"Too bad, you fat phony. It's mine now," Genro smirked at him.

"The game is over, Eikan," Koji smirked as well. Genro looked at Aika and smiled before handing the fan to Koji. He picked Aika and spun around making her giggle.

"Thanks, Aika! You're not so bad!" He said setting her down. Suddenly one of his talismans fell out and there stood Tamahome. Aika's eyes widened and she walked over.

"T-Tamahome?" She asked.

"Aika," Tamahome smiled before he disappeared. She then saw on the talisman was Tamahome's name. She gingerly picked it up and held it, feeling tears.

 _'I was hoping that it would help her…'_ Kurama thought frowning. He had sneaked a talisman and wrote Tamahome's name. He just wanted to see her really smile again.

~0~

"The Priestess of Suzaku held the talisman bearing Tamahome's name in her hand…and she wept," Naruto read sadly. Hinata frowned and brought a clutched hand to her chest.

"Oh Aika…"

 **Kida: *Grins* We finally got to Genro!**

 **Nuriko: Do you have a crush on Genro?**

 **Kida: Well...I like Tamahome more, but Genro is cute.**

 **Naruto: *Blinks* You like two guys? What is with you women?**

 **Kido: I've been asking that since I learned about crushes...**

 **Kida: Oh shut it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please favorite and comment!**


	16. The City of Resurrection

**Kida: Now it's time to get to a new chapter!**

 **Naruto: You're finally posting it!**

 **Kida: What do you mean _finally_? I posted one yesterday!**

 **Naruto: But I wanna read more! Believe it!**

 **Kida: Oi...**

 **Hotohori: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. Please enjoy!**

"Tasuki! Tasuki has a character on his body! Let me go!" Eikan cried as a man arrived by the room. Eikan, the leader of the mountain bandits, revealed the existence of Tasuki, the fifth member of the Suzaku Seven. But before she could search him out, the Lady Aika was kidnapped by Genro, a young member of the bandit gang. When she discovered that Eikan had plotted to become leader of the gang in Genro's absence, the Lady Aika joined forces with the young sorcerer and they infiltrated the bandit's base. Genro, at last, regained his post and the enchanted iron fan when a phantom Tamahome was magically summoned because of Kurama's hope in seeing his friend smile again.

~0~

"The bandits then apologized to the Priestess of Suzaku and she, of course graciously, forgave them all," Naruto read.

~0~

"And one more thing, is there anyone here by the name of Tasuki?" Aika asked as she, her warriors, Kurama, Genro, and Koji stood in front of the members of the gang. "I want to ask him to come along with us." There was suddenly talk from the gang members who wondered who Tasuki was.

"Eikan, you know that guy, don't ya?" A man asked.

"Uh, actually, no. I don't know who he is," Eikan answered.

"Well, I know who it is," Genro said making Aika look at him.

"You do? Please, tell me," Aika said with hope in her tone.

"Okay, but don't get too bummed out. Tasuki was the classified name of our former leader which means…"

"He's actually dead now…" Aika finished with a frown. Genro nodded to her. _'We're too late.'_

"Sorry about that. I wish we could bring him back to life, but we can't," Genro said to her.

"It's over now," Nuriko sighed.

"No, it can't be over," Aika said almost stubbornly.

"Listen, Genro, so you wanna go out and visit the boss' grave sometime? You probably miss him, don't ya?" Koji asked his best friend. The next day they went to the grave and Genro placed his hand on the coffin.

"A good man," Genro sighed.

 _'Now what do we do? We need all seven. If even one of the Suzaku Warriors is missing, Suzaku won't appear…and Tamahome might never come back to us or his family,'_ Aika thought sadly.

 _"I'll come home when you find them all,"_ Tamahome's voice rang in her mind.

"We can't go one without Tasuki, Sire," Nuriko said.

"Yes, but it is impossible to resurrect the dead from their sleep," Hotohori replied.

"I would recommend a jutsu, but none of us could really do it," Kurama muttered.

"Uh, boss?" A bandit asked.

"Hm?" Genro asked looking over.

"I heard some rumor about this," the bandit said.

"Yeah? What?"

"They were talking about someone up north in Choko who can supposedly bring the dead back to life," the bandit stated.

"What? Are you serious?" Aika asked surprised.

"Well, uh, it's just a rumor I heard," the bandit replied. Aika's eyes became determined and she looked at Hotohori and Nuriko, Kurama in her arms.

"Then I better go up there to Choko and check it out," she said.

"Aika," Hotohori and Nuriko said hesitantly.

"Even if there's only a one percent chance that it's true, I have to take that chance," Aika said to them. She looked at Genro. "Do you all have our horses?" She asked.

"We'll check," Genro replied before they all left. Turns out the horses were there and the three got onto their horses. Aika turned to Genro and gave a small smile.

"Thank you for everything. Make sure to keep an eye on these guys," she said to him. Genro gave a small smile back.

"No problem. Just be careful, Aika," he said to her before looking at Hotohori and Nuriko. "Keep her safe, alright?" He asked making the two Warriors nod. The three then rode off to Choko. Genro and Koji watched them leave. "They're finally out of here," he sighed a bit.

"What a chick. She's pretty interesting, huh? She sure kicked some ass," Koji said to him.

"She was pretty interesting. Hell, they sure gave us a little adventure back there," Genro said meaning what happened last night.

"Forget it. I'm just glad we got the fan and you're the boss now, Genro. The Priestess of Suzaku, huh? You'd like to go with her for the adventure, wouldn't ya?" Koji asked.

"Don't be stupid. I'm in charge now and it was the boss' last wish for all of us. Besides, I can't stand girls," Genro smirked a bit. _'Even if she was different.'_

"Then I guess it worked out for the best," Koji said before walking in.

"Hn," Genro smirked a bit before he turned. He frowned slightly before going in.

~0~

The four had decided to take a break near a river. Hotohori was filling up a canteen while Aika was sitting against a tree, looking at the note while holding Kurama. Hotohori walked over to her.

"Here, Aika, I've brought you some river water. It's cold and it tastes good," he smiled at her. Aika gave a small smile and took the canteen.

"Thank you," she replied.

"That letter you're reading is from Tamahome, isn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah…"

"It is just a bit further to Choko. You must not forget to take a drink every time we stop or your energy will begin to fail you again," Hotohori said with a soft smile before he stood and walked away. Aika sighed softly.

"Poor guy," Nuriko said leaning against the tree Aika was sitting at. "I really feel sorry for his Majesty lately. Even though he knows that you love Tamahome, he continues to care for you with his whole being," he smiled a bit.

"And you aren't mad about it?" Aika asked.

"Yeah, from what I've heard, you would normally be jealous," Kurama mumbled.

"Well, I must admit, I was shocked at first to see how strong his feelings were for you, but I get the feeling I've lost the contest. I mean, even if I was a woman I'd never stand a chance against the likes of you," Nuriko said to her, gripping Kurama's ear hard. "So no. No, I'm no angry. Not in the least. I'm really not the jealous woman type."

"I find that hard to believe," Aika sweat-dropped.

"Let me go, dammit!" Kurama growled.

~0~

The four were now traveling through a canyon like area. Aika was thinking to herself before glancing at Hotohori.

 _'Still, it's true. Hotohori really does care for me a lot,'_ she thought. Hotohori sent a small smile to her before looking ahead. Aika returned it and looked ahead as well. _'I wonder how Tamahome is doing. Would he stay with Yui? If so…I hope she treats him right,'_ she thought sadly. After all, he promised to come back when she gather all the Suzaku Warriors. If they can't get Tasuki…then what would happen?

~0~

"Ta-Tamahome," Yui frowned. Tamahome sat up from his bed that Yui was sitting on.

"Yui," he said, a little confused on why she was in his room.

"Thank goodness you're still here. I had a dream you had gone back to Aika and left me here all alone," she said looking down. Tamahome saw she was only in her white button down shirt.

"There's nothing to worry about. When the time comes for me to leave, I'll take you with me. All we can do now is believe in Aika and wait," he smiled a bit at her.

"Yeah, you're right," Yui replied.

"Lady Yui?" A maid asked from the door. "Lord Nakago wishes to see you."

"Well, I have to go now. I'll have some breakfast ready soon," Yui said to Tamahome as she stood up.

"Oh, thanks a lot," Tamahome replied. Once they were gone, he smiled a bit. "Aika, I can't wait for you to find those warriors….I can't wait to see that beautiful, warm smile of yours."

~0~

"So, you're saying that Tasuki of the Suzaku Seven is dead?" Yui asked, sitting in her hair with her legs crossed. Nakago was standing beside her while they looked at the two assassins.

"Yes, ma'am and because of that, the Priestess of Suzaku is heading for the city of Choko in northern Konan. There are rumors of a person there with the power to raise the dead," one of the assassins said.

"It seems they're encountering a lot of trouble gathering their Celestial Warriors," Nakago said to Yui.

"Then let them work for it. Okay, maintain surveillance," Yui ordered the assassins.

"As you wish," the two said before disappearing.

~0~

Aika, Nuriko, Kurama, and Hotohori made it to Choko to see dead trees with crows on them. The area almost looked like a ghost town.

"Uh…are we in a ghost town?" Aika blinked.

"I was just wondering the same thing, Kit," Kurama said.

"Get out of the way! Move it!" A man shouted while moving a wagon that had a body on it. Hotohori moved Aika out of the way quickly.

"What in the world could have happened to this little city?" Hotohori asked.

"Aika, look. The mirror," Nuriko said showing Aika the mirror.

"That means one of the Suzaku Warriors is here in the village! The Heal symbol. Do you think it could be the person with the powers the bandit told us about?" Aika looked at Hotohori with a small smile.

"Alright! We've got our other member to look for too! If we can get this guy then he can bring back Tasuki and we'll only have to look for one more warrior! Excuse me for quoting Naruto but 'Believe it!'" Kurama grinned making Aika giggle. Aika went to turn to grab her horse's reigns until she accidently bumped into someone, catching her when the woman fell.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Aika asked with concern. The woman had dirty blond hair and appeared to be in her late twenties.

"Yes, forgive me. I wasn't watching where I was going," the woman said with a small smile as Aika helped her up.

"That was quite a fall. You didn't get hurt?" Nuriko asked concerned.

"Really, I'm alright," the woman assured.

"Aika, ya klutz," Kurama said making Aika glare at him a bit.

"Shut up before I turn into a fur pelt, fox," she threatened making the said fox gulp.

"S-sorry," he said with a nervous smile.

"My, your daughter is adorable," the woman giggled to Nuriko who sweat-dropped.

"Huh? S-she's not my daughter. She's only two years younger than me," he said to her.

"Oh, then she must be your sister," the woman figured. Nuriko and Aika looked at each other.

"Well…pretty darn close," they replied. The woman giggled a bit before she suddenly lost her footing and Aika caught her.

"Here, I'll help you walk," Aika said wrapping one of the woman's arms around her shoulders before wrapping hers around the woman's waist. She then helped the woman walked. "By the way. I'm Aika Hitsubasa, the Priestess of Suzaku. These are my warriors Hotohori and Nuriko and this is my furry friend Kurama."

"My name is Shoka. Sorry for this," the woman said to her.

"It's alright, consider it my apology for bumping into you like that. Are we getting anywhere close to your home, miss?" Aika asked her until a door suddenly opened.

"Miss Shoka!" An old man said.

"Thank heavens, you've finally come," the other man said before letting them all in. Aika led her over to the woman that apparently seemed to be dead. Aika's eyes widened a bit when she saw the dead body.

"Here," the old man said letting her go next to the bed.

"She must be the patient," Shoka said looking over her.

"She's suffered horribly for over a month and then her fever exploded and she died," the old man said.

"Don't worry, I will take care of her now," Shoka assured. Shoka looked at the woman and kissed the corner of the woman's lips. They all waited as Shoka pulled away. There was suddenly a soft groan from the woman making the other man and woman smile with relief.

"She's alive again," Aika said surprised, as were Nuriko, Hotohori, and Kurama.

"How did she do it?" Hotohori asked.

"It's been dreadful. For far too many months now we've been plagued by a mysterious illness. It produces long blistering fevers that are more painful than death itself. People have nicknamed the disease the demon Shinkonki," the old man said to them.

"Shinkonki?" Hotohori asked shocked.

"And doctors have been unable to find a cure. Although Miss Shoka can't cure the disease, she's able to bring the dead back to life. They aren't as healthy as before, but many prefer to die quickly and be revived than live with the pain of the disease," the old man said.

"We've found her, Aika. Ask her quickly," Nuriko said to the Priestess. Aika nodded and looked at Shoka.

"Miss Shoka, I would like to ask you to come with us. We have someone we need revived. His name is Tasuki, one of the Suzaku Seven," she said to the woman who frowned sadly.

"Don't ask me that. I'd love to come with you, I really would, but it is impossible. I'll never be able to leave this city again. I can't leave these people here with no one to help them. Besides, if I step one foot outside the city gates I'll lose all my power," Shoka explained. Aika frowned and nodded.

"I see. I'm sorry for asking that of you, Miss Shoka," she said before turning to Hotohori and Nuriko, Kurama now in Nuriko's arms. "Perhaps we can ask for Genro's permission to bring Tasuki's body here."

"Not a bad idea, Kit. Let's do it," Kurama said while the two Warriors nodded in agreement. They then left to go back to the bandits. They were now going through a forest through the night and stopped on their horses when they reached an area.

"It looks like a cemetery," Nuriko said.

"Did we take the wrong passage?" Hotohori asked.

"Obviously seeing as we didn't pass a cemetery the first time," Kurama muttered from Aika's arms.

"We should turn around," Hotohori said.

"There's no time, we have to get back for Tasuki as fast as we can…" Aika suddenly felt light head.

"Aika!" Kurama said panicked as Hotohori came over and held her up.

"What happened?" He asked worried.

"I'm all right. My body just feels a little hot," Aika said trying to make it sound like it's nothing. Hotohori felt her forehead.

"No, a fever. We have to go back now!" Hotohori said. A horse screech and Nuriko exclaimed in shock as the horse fell into a hole. Nuriko jumped off as the horse sunk into some kind of whirlpool. Suddenly four hands grabbed Hotohori's and Aika's horses' legs making them fall to the ground. Aika held Kurama as Hotohori grabbed Aika, pulling her close so she didn't get hurt as they landed on the ground. The two horses ran off and zombies appeared out of the ground.

"Flesh…warmth…" the zombies chanted. "Your flesh is ours….You will never leave this city…" Hotohori held Aika close and began using his sword to kill the zombies. Kurama was also killing them with his claws and tails. Aika took a kunai out and used it to fight. Nuriko grabbed a tree trunk and used it to hit the other zombies. Nuriko's ankle was grabbed as he smiled at them until he screamed.

"Nuriko!" Hotohori and Aika called before an arm wrapped around Hotohori's neck.

"Aika! Run now!" Hotohori shouted.

"I'm not leaving you two!" Aika shouted at them. "Kurama!" She called earning a nod. Suddenly Aika was grabbed before she could do any hand seals.

"Rekka Shinen!" A man shouted as fire suddenly appeared and got rid of the zombies. Aika looked up to see Genro. "This is worse than I imagined."

"Genro!" Aika smiled. Genro smirked a bit at her.

"I'll wipe out the rest of them, get down on the ground!" Genro told her. Aika grabbed Kurama and got down onto the ground with Hotohori and Nuriko. "Rekka Shinen!" Genro shouted as fire came out of the fan and killed the zombies. Aika got up with her warriors, Kurama in her arms. "Well, to tell ya the truth, I wasn't gonna come…but I figured you needed some extra protection and I know you could use the extra fire power."

"What about your gang?" Hotohori asked him.

"We talked it over and made Koji the new leader. I know the old boss would have approved of it," Genro said before walking over to them.

"But why, Genro? Why did you decide to join us?" Aika asked curiously as Genro smirked and bent to her level.

"Nutcase, haven't you figured it out yet? Genro is just my nickname," he said revealing his arm that held the Wings symbol. " _I_ am Tasuki. Sorry for trickin' ya like that."

"What?! Why didn't you tell us all this a lot sooner, you flaming bum?!" Nuriko shouted.

"After all the trouble we have been through!" Hotohori agreed.

"I should skin ya alive, flame brain!" Kurama growled.

"I didn't have much of a choice. Our old boss and all the guys wanted me to be the leader. I couldn't just go and throw a wrench in the plan, that's not me. But then we went and talked it over and they all knew it's what I had to do," Tasuki said to them. Aika smiled.

"What matters now is that we have the fifth member of the Suzaku Seven. Thank you for the help, Tasuki," she said before hugging him around his neck. Tasuki chuckled a bit as hugged her back.

"It sucked when ya left, Aika. I got worried for ya," Tasuki whispered, sounding like a brother would which made Aika smile.

 _'Guess that almost kiss from earlier was just to shock me,'_ she figured meaning when he kidnapped her. She suddenly groaned and slumped against Tasuki.

"Aika!" Hotohori exclaimed while Tasuki held her.

"Aika, what's happening to you?" Nuriko asked worried.

"Do you suppose…" Kurama trailed off, his ears flat against his head in worry.

 _"Many months now we've been plagued by a mysterious illness. It produces blistering fevers that are more painful than death itself," the old man said to them._

"Do you think it's Shinkonki?" Nuriko asked.

"We have to hurry, she's not looking to good," Tasuki said to them as he picked up Aika.

"Find our horses, we need to get back to the city as quick as possible," Hotohori said with worry as Tasuki passed Aika into his arms.

~0~

They were soon back in the city and at Shoka's home.

"Please, Miss Shoka. Can you cure Aika's illness? She seems to be infected with the plague you have here," Hotohori said to her.

"There's nothing I can do about that," Shoka replied. Nuriko was at Aika's bedside. Kurama as at her side, resting his head on her stomach.

"Please!" Hotohori pleaded with Tasuki standing next to him.

"The only power I have here is to raise people from the dead. That's my only gift so Aika would have to die before I can help her," Shoka stated.

"You're saying we should let Aika die?!" Tasuki glared. "But isn't there something else we can do?"

"We have to help her somehow! And I'm not letting the Kit die!" Kurama growled.

"Don't worry about me," Aika said weakly.

"Aika," Hotohori looked at her with deep worry.

"I'm sure there must be a medical doctor somewhere around this city. It might not help, but why don't we try?" Aika asked with a weak smile. Kurama gently nuzzled her cheek with his head.

"Just get some rest, Kit and leave it to us, okay?" He asked softly. Aika smiled slightly and pat his head before falling asleep.

~0~

In Kutou, Tamahome was dressing into some new clothes since his old ones need washing. He smiled a bit when he felt the sash.

"This is silk, isn't it?" He asked Yui a bit surprised.

"You look so cool! It's totally you. I just knew black would look good on you," Yui smiled at him.

"Lady Yui," Nakago said walking over. "Forgive my intrusion, but I just received news. I thought it might interest you and maybe amuse you as well. The Priestess of Suzaku has contracted a critical disease," he said making Tamahome's eyes widen. "There's apparently no cure and it seems she'll live in great pain until she dies violently from the plague."

 _'Aika!'_ Yui thought with worry until her eyes narrowed slightly. _'Wait a minute, why should I worry about her? It's only right that should happen to her. And with Aika gone, Tamahome will be all mine.'_

~0~

The Suzaku group found a doctor but he said he wouldn't examine her which made her eye twitch a bit.

"What kind of doctor refuses to examine a patient? The doctors I know back in my village would examine even if they knew what it was!" She stated remembering Lady Tsunade and the Medical-Nins.

"I don't need to examine you, you got the Shinkonki disease. Oh wait, there is a guy, Myou Juan, who might know how to help you," the doctor said.

"Can you tell us where to find him?" Aika asked.

"He moved outside the city limits about a year ago and hasn't been here since," he replied before pushing them all out. "Now get out of here, will you?! Get going! I don't wanna catch that disease myself!"

"You're nothing but a shyster!" Tasuki shouted at him.

"Still, he gave us good information. Why don't we go look for this Myou Juan person?" Aika asked.

"Maybe you should stay behind, Kit," Kurama said with worry seeing as she look weaker than before.

"No, I'm not going to let you all do this alone. I'm the burdening you with this in the first place," Aika said as Hotohori kept her steady as he helped her walk, letting her use a staff to keep her up.

"You're not a burden. It's not your fault you caught this disease," Hotohori said to her as they started making their way up the steps. Aika stopped and panted.

 _'It's too painful. I can't go on. There are only two members of the Suzaku Seven left to find. What am I going to do?'_ Aika thought to herself.

"It's all right, just hold on," Shoka said soothingly to her.

"Miss Shoka," Aika murmured. _'Maybe Miss Shoka is the sixth Warrior…for some reason, I just get a feeling she's not.'_

"Fish! Fresh fish! Get your fresh fish today!" A man shouted as he ran, accidentally dropping a fish. Kurama ran over and placed a paw on it before a hand immediately went to grab it as well.

"Hey, pal! Get your hand off! That's my fish!" Kurama growled before the man gritted his teeth. The two began brawling for the fish while the others sweat-dropped.

"He's fighting a big guy like that for some little lake trout?" Tasuki asked.

"That's Kurama for you. He loves fish, it's his favorite food no matter what kind of fish it is," Aika muttered. Nuriko looked over and frowned.

"Miss Shoka, you're as pale as a ghost," he said making Aika look over with worry.

 _'Even when she's sick, she tries to put on a happy smile and worry about others,'_ Hotohori admired.

"It's nothing really. I'm tired and I should go home. When you're finished here, please come visit me again," Shoka replied before leaving. The man suddenly got the fish and ran off. Kurama ran after him.

"Hey! You damn street bum! You took the fish I was going to give to my friend! She's sick, ya know!" He growled.

"Kurama!" Aika shouted out of concern the fox would get lost. She then ran after him.

"Aika!" Hotohori called. Aika kept running and soon made it up a hill next to Kurama before stopping, panting as she used the staff to keep her up.

"I'm worn out now, even weaker," Aika murmured. She suddenly saw a cottage. "That must be it." Hotohori, Nuriko, and Tasuki caught up to her.

"Aika, are you sure you should be running like that?" Nuriko asked.

"Criminy, are you really sick?" Tasuki teased.

"I assure you I am. I'm just worried about a certain hot headed fox who could have gotten lost," Aika said giving the said fox a look. Kurama ignored her and took out a speaker cone.

"You are completely surrounded! Come out peacefully with my damn fish! I repeat! You are completely surrounded! Come out peacefully with my damn fish!" Kurama shouted. No response and no one came out. "Dammit…I want my fish…"

"Let's go up there," Hotohori said. Inside the house was a black cat eating the fish happily. Aika saw it through the window and her eyes widened.

 _'Niko?!'_ She thought see the red collar around its neck. She then frowned when she saw his middle wrapped in bandages.

"So many medicines. Could this be Myou Juan, the healing person they told us about?" Hotohori asked. Tasuki opened the door.

"You there! Are you the one they call Myou Juan, mister?" He asked. The man looked at them. "If you are him then examine this girl, will ya?" He said placing his hand on Aika's shoulder.

"Please, sir. She is rapidly getting weaker from the local plague disease," Hotohori said to him.

"Please, Mr. Myou Juan," Aika said.

"I'll even forget about you taking my fish," Kurama said.

"I'm not a doctor anymore, so leave," Myou Juan told them.

"Oh? I see, but you'll treat animals, won't you?" Nuriko asked with his eyes narrowed.

"I want nothing to do with human beings! Get out!" Myou Juan shouted. Niko looked over and his ears perked up. He started rubbing against Aika's leg making her smile.

"Hello, Niko," she greeted.

"You know this cat, Aika?" Hotohori asked.

"Yes, he's my cat. I should know, that collar he's wearing is the one I picked out," Aika said as Niko jumped up to her shoulders and nuzzled her cheek and neck making her giggle. She pet his head. "Stay here with Mr. Myou Juan, okay? Keep him safe," she said to him. Niko purred and licked her cheek before jumping down and going over to the said man.

"I said 'get out'!" Myou Juan shouted. They quickly left the house.

"Alright! Alright! Whatever, pal! Man, bite our heads off for asking…" Tasuki grumbled before Aika suddenly collapse, Nuriko and Hotohori catching her.

"Aika, what happened?" Hotohori asked worried.

"I can't….I can't move my legs," Aika said weakly.

"We will help you," Hotohori assured as he held her.

 _'I wonder why he turned us down….I sensed a goodness about him…'_ she thought before blacking out.

"Aika!" Hotohori exclaimed.

"Hang on, Aika!" Nuriko said.

"Come on, Kit!" Kurama told her.

"Hey, wake up! What are ya falling asleep for?!" Tasuki asked.

~0~

They were soon back at Shoka's and Aika was groaning and whimpering from the pain she was feeling throughout her body. Kurama whimpered and tried to comfort her.

"Crips! Isn't there something we can do for her?!" Tasuki asked worried about her, though he was trying not to act like it.

"It'll be sheer torture for her to live in this condition for very much longer," Nuriko said showing his worry.

"I know that. We have to find some way to ease her suffering," Hotohori said just as worried, if not more.

"There is only one thing you can do for now," Shoka said.

"What is it?" Kurama asked.

"You must kill her immediately," Shoka replied.

"Not a snowball's chance in hell, lady!" Kurama growled.

"Using my power, I can revive her at once and restore her to better health than this. It must be done," Shoka told him.

"You really expect us to do that?" Tasuki glared at her.

"No…that's fine with me. I need more strength…to look for Suzaku's other Warriors…a-and I can't stand this pain, it's too much," Aika choked out through her pain. _'If we don't try something, we're sure to fail. Then I'll never see Tamahome or Yui again,'_ she thought.

"Kit, don't," Kurama said to her.

"Please…" Aika pleaded.

~0~

"The Priestess was stricken with the epidemic disease and suffered greatly from the fever and the pain. According to Miss Shoka, the only way to save her is to take her life away, to kill her," Naruto read making everyone stiffen.

~0~

"Would you all please step outside the room?" Hotohori asked everyone.

"Sire?" Nuriko asked.

"I am going to kill her," Hotohori said, pain ebbing at his chest. Kurama's eyes widened.

"No! I won't let you!" He growled, standing protectively and ready to attack.

"If you want her to come back to health then we have to, Kurama!" Hotohori snapped.

"Kurama….I-it's okay…" Aika said making Kurama frown. He nodded hesitantly before following Nuriko and Tasuki out. "Forgive me, Hotohori…for give you such a terrible burden…" Aika said with a weak smile. "J-just make it quick, okay?" She asked. Hotohori looked away pained and drew his sword. Aika closed her eyes, waiting for it while Hotohori got his sword ready to stab her.

 **Kida: No, Hotohori! Don't stab her!**

 **Tasuki: You're the one writin' it! You have the ability to stop him!**

 **Kida: B-but...with the way Yuu Watase wrote it...dammit!**

 **Tasuki: Don't follow the author! Don't let him kill Aika!**

 **Kida: That's not your choice, dammit! Now back off!**

 **Tasuki: *Backs away slowly* Alright! Alright! I get it!**

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please favorite and comment!**


	17. Battle of Sorrow

**Kida: I hope you people are happy! I posted two chapters today! Oi...I have no life...**

 **Kido: Yeah, tell me about it. You stay locked up in your bedroom writing like your life depends on it.**

 **Kida: It's not a bedroom! It's my writing laboratory that just so happens to have a bed!**

 **Kido: *Sweat-drops* Damn, you really do have no life.  
**

 **Tasuki: Uh...I'll do the disclaimer. Kida Tenshi doesn't own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and future OCs. Enjoy!**

"This is worse than I imagined," Tasuki said as the zombies fell to the ground after being burned. "Rekka Shinen!" He shouted before killing the rest of the zombies. Genro, the bandit leader, was finally revealed to be Tasuki, the fifth member of the Suzaku Seven. As the search continued, Lady Aika was stricken with the incurable Shinkonki disease, leaving her in agony until her inevitable death.

"There's only one thing you can do for her now. You must kill her immediately," Shoka said to them.

"Not a snowball's chance in hell, lady!" Kurama growled.

"Using my power, I can revive her at once and restore her to better health than this. It must be done," Shoka told him.

"You really expect us to do that?" Tasuki glared at her.

"No…that's fine with me. Please…" Aika pleaded in pain.

"Would you all please step outside the room?" Hotohori asked everyone.

"Sire?" Nuriko asked.

"I am going to kill her," Hotohori said, pain ebbing at his chest. Kurama's eyes widened.

"No! I won't let you!" He growled, standing protectively and ready to attack.

"If you want her to come back to health then we have to, Kurama!" Hotohori snapped.

"Kurama….I-it's okay…" Aika said making Kurama frown. He nodded hesitantly before following Nuriko and Tasuki out. "Forgive me, Hotohori…for give you such a terrible burden…" Aika said with a weak smile. The Lady Aika's beloved Hotohori drew his sword and prepared to strike.

~0~

"What are you three doing? Where's Aika and Yui?" Sai asked walking up with Sakura.

"I told you, they're in the book," Naruto stated.

"Naruto…" Sakura stopped when she saw Naruto's narrowed gaze. That gaze told her he was serious. "T-they're really in the book?"

"Yes, they are. Right now Yui has betrayed Aika and Aika his deathly ill. So be quiet while we read to see if Hotohori saves her. Thank you!" Naruto said with annoyed tone. He was beyond worried for Aika and it showed. Sakura and Sai frowned at his tone before reluctantly agreeing and sitting down.

"Please, continue," Sai motioned to Naruto who nodded and went back to the book. He wiped his forehead, feeling the fever Aika was suffering.

"When he heard the Priestess of Suzaku was ill, Tamahome was moved by his love for her to escape the Kutou Palace where he was imprisoned," Naruto read.

~0~

Tamahome ran out of his room and started running through the palace to find a way out.

 _'If I can just get to her, I know there must be some way to save her!'_ Tamahome thought to himself.

"Tamahome!" Yui called making Tamahome stop and look a pillar Yui was standing next to. "Are you trying to leave here to go back to Aika?"

"I can't just remain here and do nothing about it! She's in terrible pain and needs help!" Tamahome stated. "I'll come back soon. Please, let me go!"

"No! I won't let you!" Yui exclaimed making Tamahome's eyes widen. She grabbed his arm. "You're a hostage here! Who knows what they'll do if they find out about this?!"

"Let me go, Yui!" Tamahome demanded. Suddenly a black whip appeared and wrapped around Tamahome's ankle, pulling to make him fall to the ground.

"Tamahome!" Yui exclaimed before seeing Nakago with a whip in his hands.

"I thought that he might try something like this," Nakago mused.

"Nakago…"

"It seems you didn't intend to keep your pledge when you offered yourself as a security deposit. So I'll have to make sure you understand what it means to be a hostage," Nakago said while Tamahome glared at him, gritting his teeth. "Bring him," Nakago ordered a guard.

~0~

"Aika!" Hotohori shouted as he brought his sword down…stabbing the bed instead of her. Outside, Tasuki, Nuriko, and Kurama thought he stabbed her which made them gasp. Aika opened her eyes and looked at Hotohori who was a bit blurry in her vision. What was happening with her eyes? She wasn't crying so why was everything becoming so blurry?

"H-Hotohori?" She whispered. Hotohori suddenly pulled her into his arms. _'What happened?'_

"I'm sorry, Aika. Please forgive me. I simply can't bring myself to murder you like this. Do not leave me," Hotohori chocked out as he held her.

"Hotohori…no…you have to. I-it's for my own good, remember? Please, try again," Aika said to him. If she didn't die then Shoka can't revive her! Hotohori pulled back.

"Don't you understand?" He asked grabbing her hand and bringing it to his cheek. "Do you think I could ever kill the one I love most in all the world?" He asked her. Aika then felt a tear land on her finger.

 _'Hotohori…he's crying,'_ Aika thought sadly. Outside the room, the three were close up against the door, listening to them.

"I know you are in pain, but please, try to bear it," Hotohori pleaded.

"What's with all the mellow drama?" Nuriko muttered.

"Are those two going together or somethin'?" Tasuki asked before Nuriko punched him.

"Nope. Aika loves Tamahome, but Hotohori loves her and yet she cares about him and blah, blah, blah," Kurama waved it off. Back in the room, Hotohori kept a hold on Aika's hand.

"I'm going to ask that doctor, Myou Juan, for his help one more time. So please, Aika. Please," Hotohori pleaded. Aika gave a weak, but warm smile.

"Alright…I'll wait for you," she replied. She softly caressed his cheek as if to comfort him. Hotohori was comforted by her warm and soft touch. Kurama ran in and jumped onto the bed.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her while you guys are gone," he said to Hotohori who nodded and stroked the fox's head. He then left with Nuriko and Tasuki.

~0~

"So, you're back," Myou Juan said seeing them in his cottage once again. Hotohori nodded. He bowed his head and Nuriko and Tasuki followed in bowing their heads.

"Please returned to the city with us and save Aika's life," Hotohori said before getting on his hands and knees, bow more. "I beg of you, please!" Hotohori pleaded. Tasuki and Nuriko also got on their knees.

"I'm begging too! Without a doctor, there's no chance at all!" Tasuki told him.

"The only way left is Shoka's way and we just can't bring ourselves to do it!" Nuriko added. Myou Juan stiffened and his eyes widened at them.

"What? Did you just say 'Shoka'?" He asked them. "It can't be!"

"Well, yeah. Aika's at Miss Shoka's house right now," Nuriko replied.

"No! That's impossible!" Myou Juan shouted. Niko screeched and hid behind Hotohori. "Shoka…Shoka had the disease a year ago…and she died."

~0~

Aika was asleep with Kurama keeping an eye out for any danger. Kurama was silently praying the others would hurry back and with Myou Juan. Shoka walked up and soothed Aika's hair.

"What a lovely girl. Even in this agony her life force is strong and vital," she said. Kurama saw her take out a knife and growled. "But now it's her time and I'll be the one to kill her."

"Not on my watch, bitch!" Kurama growled making Aika woke up to the noise.

~0~

"You mean to say Miss Shoka's dead?! That she died from of the Shinkonki disease?!" Hotohori demanded.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I was her doctor back then," Myou Juan stated.

"But if that's true, who's the Choko broad with Aika now?" Tasuki asked.

"Oh no, we have to go back to Aika right away! Aika could be in danger!" Hotohori said with sword in hand.

"Yeah!" Tasuki and Nuriko agreed before following him.

"Shoka…it can't be…" Myou Juan said as Niko meowed at him.

~0~

Shoka stabbed the bed as Aika rolled onto her side, Aika then used her foot to kick Shoka away. Aika slowly got up.

"Stay away from her!" Kurama growled at the woman.

"Kurama, let me speak with her," Aika said to her friend. Kurama looking over his shoulder.

"Aika….you need to rest," he said to her. The last thing Aika needed was to worry for her own life, which she rarely does anyway. But he didn't want her to worry about the fact that Shoka could be trying to kill her for other reasons.

"Either you are trying to kill me so you can revive me, or you have other plans. I won't let you kill me because I promised Hotohori I would wait for him. True, it would be easier to let me die so you can revive me, but I have to be strong. There are two people in Kutou I want to be sure to recover safely. One of them is a boy I happen to love very much and I wish to spend the rest of my life with him. The other is my best friend and has been since we were five years old. She has been hurt and needs my help. I'm sick and it is painful, but this is nothing to me if I think about them. I know they've had to suffer more and it's all because of me. So I have to hang on, they need me to and I have to be strong enough to see them both again. I can sense goodness in you, Miss Shoka," Aika said to her. Shoka was touched by her speech and dropped her dagger.

"You can't even try to hurt her. I can tell you don't want to," Kurama said to Shoka who looked down and backed away from them. "But, from what I can smell…there's something dark in you…"

~0~

Tamahome screamed and grunt in pain as Nakago whipped him. He had whip marks all over his body and his fists were clenching from the pain. He had to be strong. For Aika. He needed to stay strong so he could go back to her and bring Yui with. He vowed he would get Aika's friend back to her and help her.

"No!" Yui cried. "That's enough!" She shouted at Nakago from the other side of the cage, two guards holding her back.

"Lady Yui, I explained already that this is necessary," Nakago said before walking up to Tamahome, lifting his chin up with the whip handle. "He must understand what happens to hostages when they try to escape. So we'll give him something to remember and he'll think twice before trying again. Now swear to Lady Yui that you'll never again even mention the Priestess of Suzaku," Nakago smirked at Tamahome. Tamahome stared at him for a moment before sticking his tongue out defiantly. Nakago chuckled slightly before whipping him again.

"Tamahome…" Yui whimpered as she listened to the Suzaku Warrior's cries of pain. "Stop it! You're killing him! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She screamed. Nakago stopped and walked up to Tamahome again to see he had passed out.

"He has fainted. Release him," Nakago ordered before Tamahome collapsed to the ground. Yui ran over to Tamahome.

"Tamahome!" Yui exclaimed with worry. She gently pulled his head into her lap.

"Are you clear now, Tamahome? You will never stand upon the land of Konan and you will never see the Priestess of Suzaku again. You live only for Lady Yui. Do not forget that, my friend," Nakago said before walking away.

"Aika…" Tamahome whispered.

"Oh no. Tamahome!" Yui exclaimed before getting him help.

~0~

Aika groaned a bit as she slowly got out of bed.

"Kit, lay back down and rest," Kurama said to her with worried tone.

"N-no, I won't," Aika said stubbornly as she got out of bed. She looked around. "Kurama…I-I can't see."

"All the better reason to get back into bed!" Kurama told him.

"Miss Shoka, where are you?" Aika asked, her hands in front of her to look for the said woman. Shoka was sitting in a corner. "Miss Shoka?" She asked. Kurama ran in front of Aika and flared all nine of his tails out as he growled a bit.

"Stay away, Aika. Get back. Otherwise I'll…" Shoka trailed off. Kurama thought it looked like she was shivering and made sure Aika stayed back.

"Aika, stay away from her."

~0~

The three Warriors rode back into the city on their horses, feeling the wind. Suddenly knives and other sharp objects were thrown at them, getting their horses and making them fall.

"What happened?!" Tasuki demanded until they saw the city people coming closer with sharp weapons. The three Suzaku Warriors were back to back and were surrounded. "What's with all the dead heads?"

"The whole town is covered with a strange dark atmosphere. Be careful," Hotohori warned. The towns people attacked and Hotohori was grabbed. "What are you doing?! Let go!"

"Can it! You guys want me to burn ya, huh?!" Tasuki growled as he was grabbed too.

"Tasuki, no! Do not use the flame on them!" Hotohori shouted.

"Then what should we do, man?! They have us outnumbered by a lot!" Tasuki retorted. Nuriko hit the towns people off the two Warriors with a wagon.

"Majesty, run for it! Leave these ghouls to me!" Nuriko said as he used the wagon to block.

"No, I can't!"

"Aika needs you! Go now!" Nuriko ordered. Hotohori was a bit hesitant then ran to get to Aika.

"Wait up! I'm comin' with ya!" Tasuki shouted. He then flinched when he saw a man with a butcher knife over him. Suddenly the man was punched away and Tasuki looked up. "W-who's this big guy?"

~0~

"What's the matter, Miss Shoka?" Aika asked.

 _'She's blind now?! That damn disease made her blind!'_ Kurama thought to himself and saw some hair fall from Shoko's slight up do. He then saw her skin becoming pale and sickly.

"Come on, where are you?" Aika asked. Shoka was going to grab Aika and Hotohori burst in.

"Aika! Get away from that woman!" He shouted. Shoka went to attack Aika until Kurama pushed the Priestess of out of the way.

"Kurama, what's going on?" Aika asked.

"It's Shoka, she almost looks like a zombie!" Kurama said standing in front of her protectively. "Hotohori, what's the meaning of this?!" He asked the young Emperor.

"Miss Shoka died almost a year ago!" Hotohori stated.

"What?" Aika's eyes widened until there was suddenly hand on her head.

"It's too late, she's mine now! I'll even suck out her bone marrow!" Shoka said.

"You won't kill her! Not if I have anything to say about it!" Kurama growled. "Aika get down!" He shouted. Aika ducked and Kurama used his tails to push Shoka back.

"Where is she?!" Aika asked so she could do a jutsu.

"Don't even try it, Aika! You're blind right now! If you aim in the wrong direction, you could kill us instead!" Kurama told her. Aika gritted her teeth, feeling useless.

"Let me have her!" Shoka shouted.

"I will destroy you, you ugly bloodhound!" Hotohori shouted before going to attack.

"Wait!" A man shouted making Hotohori stop. He looked over and saw Tasuki and Nuriko with a man who wore two headbands, one dark yellow and the other purple around his head. He was pretty tall too. He had short hair and looked like he had recently shaved.

"Tasuki, Nuriko, you made it back here, but who did you bring with you?" Hotohori asked.

"He just appeared out of nowhere," Nuriko sweat-dropped. Shoka looked at the man with shock.

"Juan…" Shoka murmured.

"Juan?" Aika wondered. She started trying to focus her eyesight and saw the similarities between the man and the one she saw before. "It is Mr. Myou Juan!" Aika smiled while Tasuki and Nuriko suddenly spazzed out at the true fact.

"That jabby old man is this young guy?!" Tasuki asked.

"Shoka, are you the one who's spreading the disease throughout the village?" Myou Juan asked. "So you've become a monster who feeds on human flesh and souls," he said as Shoka grew uglier. Nuriko poked Tasuki's shoulder as he looked at the window.

"Hey, Red…" he said making Tasuki look at him.

"Hm?"

"Out there!" Nuriko pointed to the towns people. Tasuki screamed before the two hurried and closed the windows. "What are they?! Why do they keep following us?!"

"They're creepy!" Tasuki added.

"I believe they're all townspeople Shoka brought back to life. They may seem to be alive, but they're no more than zombies which she herself controls," Myou Juan stated.

"They're zombies?! See? I should have toasted them before with this flaming fan!" Tasuki told Hotohori who ignored him. "Hey! You admit that I was right!" He demanded.

"It's true, isn't it?" Myou Juan narrowed his gaze at Shoka. "Why, Shoka?"

"What right do you have to talk to me like that? One year ago while I was suffering from my illness and on the verge of death I waited for you, but you never came. I believed that in my heart you would come. The pain was ghastly, but I held on to see you again and you never came!" Shoka told him. Aika frowned.

 _'They were in love,'_ she realized before gasping slightly.

"Well? Do you think you still have the right to question me now?" Shoka asked before grabbing Aika by the throat.

"Aika!" Kurama called.

"First I'll kill this girl and then I'll kill you, Myou Juan," Shoka said as Myou Juan looked down pained.

"Now, Tasuki!" Hotohori said. The two went to attack Shoka until Aika stepped in front of them, making them stop.

"Stop! I won't let you kill Miss Shoka!" She said with narrowed brown eyes.

"Kit, what's gotten into you?!" Kurama asked.

"Aika, that thing is a demon! We have to destroy it!" Hotohori told her.

"No! Miss Shoka is not a demon at all! I know what a demon is because I've seen them!" Aika told Hotohori. "You came back to see him, to see Mr. Myou Juan. He's your true love, isn't he?" Aika asked knowingly making Shoka's eyes widen and stop her growling. "It was painful for you to die without him there, but there was nothing he could do about it," Aika said before looking at her with a firm gaze. "You came back for him! I know you did! I can understand that! You love him with all your heart and I know he loves you. Your heart was broken because he wasn't there with you, but his heart broke too! So you shouldn't punish someone else just because you're sad! You took your pain out on these innocent people and I know deep down that you know they didn't deserve it! When I told you about the man I love and my best friend, you dropped that dagger and got away from me to keep me safe. You know my pain just as I know yours. They may not be the same situations, but they're close. You know it's true, Miss Shoka. I have a friend who became a monster because he lost love too…but he changed. I know you can too," Aika said to her with tears in her eyes.

"A-Aika…" Kurama whispered knowing who she was talking about. Shoka stared at her stunned before her human form came back.

"Oh Aika…" Shoka whispered before starting to collapse. Aika caught her.

"Miss Shoka," Aika said with concern as they sat on the ground.

"It's true, Juan. I was waiting for you, but I couldn't last. Now you're here. Please help me, Juan," Shoka sobbed before a red centipede demon with a yellow eye suddenly popped out of her back. Everyone exclaimed at the sight of it. Aika screamed as she was suddenly grabbed by the demon.

"S-Shoka…h-help me…" Aika choked out.

"Juan, please! Only your power can destroy this evil Shinkonki monster! If you don't it'll kill her!" Shoka cried.

"Shoka…it's you…" Myou Juan said stunned.

"Help!" Aika shouted.

"That Shinkonki…you've been possessed by the demon!" Myou Juan exclaimed.

"Please forgive me…The demons possessed me easily, drawn by my pain and emptiness that even death couldn't end," Shoka said to him.

"We will destroy the monster!" Hotohori shouted before Kurama, Tasuki, he, and Nuriko went to attack the demon. They were all suddenly grabbed by the demons as well.

"Guys, no!" Aika shouted.

"Juan, please! Kill me now and the demon will vanish! If you do it then the demon spell will be broken and the village people will be saved too! Hurry! Destroy me now!" Shoka shouted. Myou Juan clenched his fist as he remembered his times with Shoka. He then unwrapped the bandages from his hand making Shoka smile. "Lady Aika, thank you. It's all right now, you will be cured soon. Reunited with the ones you love and able to enjoy life. Farewell," Shoka said as Myou Juan's hand glowed green. Aika let her tears slip down her cheeks.

"Farewell, Miss Shoka," she whispered.

"Great healing power, demon be gone!" Myou Juan shouted as he attacked the demon.

 _'Miss Shoka!'_ Aika thought with sadness.

 _'I missed you. I missed you so much. Farewell, Juan,'_ Shoka thought before she and the demon were destroyed. Everyone was free of the demon. But the house also disappeared.

"The house, it's just an illusion!" Tasuki said as the townspeople collapsed. Their zombie states turned back into human.

"The townspeople have turned back to normal!" Nuriko added.

"The demon spell has been broken! Now Aika will get better!" Kurama grinned.

"She will," Nuriko said with relief.

"There were a lot of innocent people among them. It is good you did not burn them all, Tasuki," Hotohori said as he held Aika in his arms. "Aika, speak to me!" He said wanting to know she was okay. Aika groaned a bit. "Aika!" Myou Juan walked over and placed his hand on her forehead. "How is she?" Hotohori asked worried.

"She'll be all right. She just spent too much time close to the demon," Myou Juan replied as his hand glowed green. Aika sighed and opened her eyes.

 _'I feel warm,'_ she thought until she suddenly saw the symbol on Myou Juan's hand. Her eyes widened as she grabbed his hand. "Great Sage of the Six Paths! It's a mark of Suzaku!" She exclaimed with a grin while Myou Juan blinked at her.

"Looks like she's feeling better now," Nuriko smiled. Hotohori smiled while Tasuki and Kurama grinned.

"My Kit's all better!" Kurama said before dancing around with Tasuki. Hotohori looked at Myou Juan

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I am the Suzaku Warrior Mitsukake," Myou Juan replied.

"Mitsukake?" Aika got used to the name.

"You mean the spell that killed the demon and cured Aika is from Suzaku?" Tasuki asked surprised.

"My healing power," Mitsukake said before getting up. Aika's eyes widened a bit when Mitsukake picked Shoka up into his arms.

"Miss Shoka…" she whispered sadly.

"That's why I became a doctor. I wanted to help people with my special healing power. Then Shoka suddenly developed the high fever.

 _"Juan…Juan!" Shoka had cried._

"I had been called away to a distant village to treat someone and I didn't make it in time," Mitsukake said to them. _"Shoka! Shoka!" He had cried when he saw his love dead._ "My love…the person I wanted to save most of all was the one I couldn't save. How dare I call myself a great physician? This power of mine was useless in the end," he said with tears. Aika frowned when she saw his tears.

"So that's why you turned your back on the world and gave up medicine," she said to him. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But this time, you finally saved her," she said with a soft and warm smile.

"I saved her?" He asked her.

"Yes, you did. See? Miss Shoka is at peace at last. She looks so happy now," Aika replied as tears prick her eyes. Mitsukake held Shoka in his arms with tears in his own eyes.

"You've turned me into a blubbering Kit, Aika! That's not fair"! Kurama said as he tried to wipe tears away from his eyes. The others shed tears as well at the touching moment, well, Hotohori just bowed his head. Mitsukake picked Shoka up.

 _'It's because of Miss Shoka we found the sixth Warrior of the Suzaku Seven. I won't give up, Miss Shoka,'_ Aika promised as she looked at the beautiful woman in the man's arms.

~0~

"As Mitsukake embraced his love, the Priestess of Suzaku gazed at her lovely face and made a solemn vow…just a the night gave way to dawn," Naruto read with tears running down his cheeks. Sakura and Hinata were down different. Sasuke wiped stray tears away quickly before he thought anyone saw. Sai was just looking down with a lone tear running down.

~0~

Aika and the others looked at the rising sun. Aika's hand clenched into a fist as her eyes showed determination.

 _'I swear I will get Tamahome and Yui back safely. We only need to find one more Suzaku Warrior.'_

 **Kida: I'm not gonna cry *Tears prick eyes* I'm not gonna cry *Tears run down cheeks* Crap! I'm crying!**

 **Kido: Even I'm crying! That was so touching!**

 **Kida: Tasuki! Hug me!**

 **Tasuki: *Sweat-drops and wraps arms around her* Uh...there, there. *Pats her head awkwardly***

 **Kida: *Sniffles before blowing nose in his shirt***

 **Tasuki: What that hell?!**

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter just as I enjoyed writing it, except for when Tamahome was whipped...I wanna kill Nakago for that. Please favorite and comments, loves!**


	18. Magic Flute

**Kida: 34 more chapters to go until I get to the OVAs!**

 **Naruto: You seem pretty excited.**

 **Kida: Of course! But I'm not liking the next chapter...Damn Yui.**

 **Tasuki: How come I had a feeling it had to do with her?**

 **Kida: Oh! You'll see why I hate that girl so much! Anyways, I, Kida Tenshi, do not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi, no matter how much I wish I did. I only own Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs. Please enjoy!**

Hearing from Myou Juan Shoka was no longer living, Hotohori and the others raced back to rescue the Lady Aika. Shoka had died of a terrible disease a year earlier while waiting for her love, Myou Juan to return. She became possessed by the Shinkonki demon and cultivated the epidemic that plagued the city. After destroying the demon, who was once his love, Myou Juan revealed that he was Mitsukake of the Suzaku Seven.

"I am the Suzaku Warrior known as Mitsukake. That was my healing power," Mitsukake told them. A week passed and now they were at a shack that had a water mill. Aika was making a list of what she would need for her shop.

"Okay, one hundred individual kunais, two hundred individual shuriken, five hundred paper bombs, one hundred copies of Jiraiya's book, two hundred compacts of healing and disinfectant ointment, one hundred rolls of bandages, and one hundred bottles of peroxide," Aika quietly listed to herself. Kurama growled.

"Just because you're whispering doesn't mean I can't hear you!?" He hissed quietly.

"Look, I'm sorry okay. I just need to make sure I have the list I need for opening my shop. I didn't even realize I was reading them out loud. I want to be prepared for when I open my shop and I wanted to make sure I had everything on the list that I planned to sell," Aika said to him.

"Look, I get it, it's important to you because of your father, but we're all exhausted here! Ever since we found Mitsukake at Choko we've been wondering around these last four or five days searching for the final member. The mirror hasn't give us so much as a glimmer. Are you sure you didn't break it?" Kurama asked her with a look.

"Will you quit your complaining? We just have one more Warrior to find. Never give up! You should know that better than anybody seeing as Naruto was your freaking host!" Aika snapped quietly.

"Okay! I get it! We won't give up! Just let me lie down some more first! I need sleep!" Kurama said quietly as he laid down. Aika suddenly heard a flute playing and looked out the window.

 _'That's a flute. Who could be playing it this early in the morning? It…it sounds just like how mom used to play,'_ she frowned as she thought of her mother. She laid down after packing her list away. She listened to the flute playing and it seemed to sooth her. _'Mama…I miss you and papa so much,'_ she thought sadly. The next morning they were all walking down the path, Hotohori having Aika ride with him on his horse while the others had no choice but to walk. "Guys, I swear I heard a flute playing," she said to the Warriors.

"Mitsukake, did you hear anything?" Tasuki asked.

"No," Mitsukake replied.

"It was probably just some stupid bugs chirping," Nuriko said.

"Maybe you're just hearing things, Kit," Kurama muttered while Aika gave an irritated sigh.

"If Aika says she heard a flute then I believe there was one there," Hotohori said defending Aika.

"Hey, look, I can see a village in the distance," Tasuki announced making Aika looked over. Her eyes widened.

"That's Tamahome's village!" She smiled.

"You're right! But we were here quite a while ago now," Nuriko said.

"And this is where we found Chichiri," Aika said as she remembered the monk. "And Tamahome's family too, his little brothers and sisters and his father who's sick," she said before her eyes widened and she looked at Mitsukake. "Mitsukake, please come with me, quickly!" She said getting off the horse.

"Of course," Mitsukake nodded. They then ran to Tamahome's house.

"H-have you seen the doctor anywhere!" A boy asked two women. The women shook their heads and he looked at the two people running. "Priestess?" He asked making Aika stop. She looked over and saw Chuei. "Priestess, it really is you!"

"Chuei!" Aika frowned seeing how out of breath he was. Chuei got down on his hands and knees. Aika ran over with Mitsukake and knelt beside Tamahome's little brother. "What's wrong?"

"P-papa's gotten a lot worse. I went to the doctor but he's not there. No one knows where-oh Priestess, please help us," Chuei pleaded. Aika looked at Mitsukake pleadingly.

"Where's your home, son?" Mitsukake asked right when Aika looked at him. With that, Chuei led them to the house, staying close to Aika. At the house, Mitsukake looked over Tamahome's father. "He's very weak."

"Can you help? Please, doctor?" Chuei begged while Aika wrapped her arms around Chuei's and Gyokuran's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Chuei. He'll be fine," Mitsukake assured before looking back at the father. "Healing forces!" He said placing his hand over the father's chest. His hand glowed green while his mark glowed. Soon it ended and the mark faded for the time being. They all waited until the man opened his eyes and looked at Mitsukake.

"Papa!" Chuei said.

"What's all this?" Tamahome's father asked.

"It's all right now. You've been completely cured of your illness," Mitsukake assured him.

"I can feel it also. How can we ever thank you for your kindness?" The man smiled. He then looked at Aika. "And Lady Aika, it's wonderful to see you again."

"As it is to see you, sir. And please, just call me Aika," she smiled back at him. She heard Mitsukake groan and frowned as she rushed to his side while Tamahome's father sat up. "Mitsukake, are you all right?" She asked concerned.

"I'll recover with some rest. I only have enough strength in me to heal with this power once in a day," Mitsukake replied. Chuei came over.

"Here, take this money as payment for-"

"I don't want that. Use the money to buy a nice fresh fish for your father's supper," Mitsukake said to the boy. Niko meowed and popped out of his jacket. Mitsukake chuckled and pet Niko. "And for him too." Aika giggled softly at her feline.

"Niko, always has to have a fish," she mused shaking her head.

"Right, I'll go get one now!" Chuei smiled before running off. Aika smiled as she watched him leave.

 _'Tamahome would be so happy if he were here right now with them,'_ she thought. Outside the house, Hotohori, Tasuki, and Nuriko were making their way over to the house when they saw the boy run by. Aika looked at Gyokuran, Shunkei, and Yuiren who grabbed her hands.

"Priestess, why isn't our brother here with you?" Gyokuran asked. Aika gave a small smile to them.

"He needed to get away for a little while," she said to them. _'I can't tell them he's in Kutou as a prisoner. I know Tamahome wouldn't want them to worry…I don't want them to worry either,'_ she thought to herself as they others walked in.

"This is Tamahome's dwelling?" Hotohori asked looking around. "I didn't think families living in this kind of utter poverty really existed. In my Empire the Emperor should rule so his subjects never have to be exposed to this kind of life." Yuiren tugged on his tunic. Hotohori smiled at her and knelt down to her level. "What is it, child?"

"Are you my big brother's wife, miss?" Yuiren asked innocently which made Aika giggled softly thinking it was cute.

"No, I'm a man," Hotohori replied, finding it adorable as well.

"But you're so beautiful," Yuiren said to him. Hotohori hugged her.

"Even though they're poor, they're so bright and honest," he said making Aika and Tasuki sweat-drop.

"Hey! Just because someone is poor doesn't mean they get a poor education!" Kurama exclaimed. Yuiren looked at him and grinned.

"A cute fox!" She said before hugging Kurama. Kurama blushed a bit.

"Uh…h-hey, kid….I-I'm not too used to hugging…" Kurama said while Aika laughed softly.

"Come on, Kurama. She's a little girl. Just make her happy and hug her back," she said making Kurama grumbled before he nuzzled Yuiren making her giggle. Gyokuran and Yuiren played with Kurama who seemed to be okay with it.

"Doctor! Doctor! I brought the fish!" Chuei said running back with a fish in his hands. His hair was down and he looked so much like Tamahome. You'd think they were almost twins. "I'll cook it up right away!" Aika smiled a bit and walked over to him. She placed a hand on his head.

"Thank you, Chuei. How about I help you cook some dinner?" She suggested. Chuei smiled at her.

"Okay. Thank you, Priestess!" He said to her.

"Hey, just call me Aika, okay?" Aika smiled as she ruffled his hair a little. Chuei chuckled and nodded.

"One can tell that they are brothers. He does look a lot like Tamahome," Hotohori said seeing it as well. The two began making dinner then.

"You caught this fish in the river, so where's Tamahome's money?" Aika asked curious as she chopped the fish.

"I'm saving it. Before I spend one small coin, I think it through and through and through!" Chuei replied as he got the pot ready. Aika smiled.

"You're just like your brother where money's concerned," Nuriko smiled as he walked up. Aika looked at Chuei again.

 _'He really is like him,'_ she mused before going back to chopping. _'Where is Chiriko, the last one? I have to find him fast so that I can see Tamahome again and then bring Yui home,'_ she thought as she and Chuei cooked. Soon it was finished. "Guys, dinner's ready," she called.

"Whoa! Smells good, Kits!" Kurama said from Gyokuran's head as they came to the table.

"Heh, thanks, Kurama. I couldn't have done it without Chuei's help though," Aika smiled as she patted the said boy's shoulder. Chuei smiled and they all began eating. What they didn't know was that they were being watched by a Kutou assassin.

"I have found you, Priestess of Suzaku," he said quietly.

~0~

Back in Kutou, it was very windy outside and it could be heard from Tamahome's room where Yui was attending to his wounds. Tamahome slowly woke up and opened his eyes making Yui gasp a bit.

"Tamahome?" She asked softly.

"I…ugh!" Tamahome groaned as he tried to sit up until he felt his wounds.

"Don't move! You've been hurt very badly," Yui said as she helped him lay back down. "You were sound asleep for the last five days," she said before going to clean the cloth.

"You mean you've been here all that time taking care of me?" Tamahome asked her. He smiled a bit. "Thank you, Yui." Yui smiled back and placed a cool cloth on his forehead. "Five days, huh? I wonder how Aika is," he said holding the cloth to his head. "I hope that they got her help and that she's out of danger. That bully! That impulsive good for nothing Nakago! If he hadn't beaten me so bad I coulda-!"

"Why?" Yui asked softly.

"Huh?"

"Why do you still worry about Aika?! After all that's happened to you! Why can't you just forget about her and all her little games?!" Yui exclaimed.

"Yu-." Tamahome was cut off by Yui kissing him which made his eyes widen. She pulled back and he frowned. "Yui…" Yui gently rested her head on his should.

"I love you, so much," Yui said to him.

 _"And Yui…she's in love with you too," Aika had told him._

"Please, as long as you're here, don't talk about Aika. I'll do anything for you. Let me show you. I will," Yui said before the lights went out from the wind that burst in through the window. They both sat up.

"Yui, you shouldn't…." Tamahome trailed off. Yui took off running. "Yui!"

~0~

Aika was brushing her teeth, thinking to herself as she looked out the window.

"Aika, hurry up and go to bed. We'll start our search again first thing tomorrow morning, early," Nuriko called.

"Um…do bats attack people?" Aika said curious as she looked out and saw bats on the tree.

"Bats? No, healthy bats don't normally attack you. They send out ultra-sonic waves in the dark and can hear when the waves hit up against object so that they steer clear of them. Steering with their hearing. It's at a high frequency that people never hear," Nuriko said with a yawn.

 _'Sounds that people can't hear, like that flute this morning,'_ Aika thought to herself.

"Come on, Kit. We need to get some sleep," Kurama said before Aika came over.

"I'm coming, don't get your tails in a twist," Aika muttered climbing into bed. She soon fell asleep until she suddenly heard the flute again. _'The flute. It's that flute again.'_ She looked over her bonk at Nuriko. "Nuriko, wake up. Do you hear it now? The flute?" She asked.

"What now?" Nuriko asked before staying quiet. "I don't hear anything," he said before going back to sleep. Aika's eyes narrowed a bit.

 _'Only I hear it? If it weren't for the fact that I'm human, I would swear I had bat ears,'_ she thought until she didn't hear the flute anymore. "It stopped," she whispered. She grabbed her kunai and went to the door before opening it. She walked out of the house and gasped a bit when she saw a whole tree filled with bats. Suddenly the swarm of bats went to attack her and she screamed. They bats kept attacking her. _'Something's wrong! Bats don't normally attack! Is someone after me_ _ **again**_ _?! That means Chuei and the others could be in danger too!'_ She thought before she took off running to the woods to make sure no one else got hurt.

"Aika!" Hotohori called as he and Tasuki ran out. They then started running after Aika.

 _'I have to get far away from them!'_ She thought before she tripped on a tree root, landing on the ground. She then screamed as the bats attacked her again. "Get off me!" Aika shouted hitting some off with her kunai.

"Aika!" Hotohori said trying to get the bats off. "Tasuki! Do it!" He called.

"Together!" Aika shouted at Tasuki who nodded. She did hand seals. "Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

"Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki shouted as well before their fires combined and got rid of the bats. But more showed up. "Again!" He shouted trying to get rid of those bats until more came. "Where are they all coming from?! So many of them!" He shouted before he and Hotohori were suddenly attacked by bats. Hotohori grabbed Aika and tried to protect her from the bats. Tasuki even tried to block her from being attacked.

 _'Someone is definitely after me. No doubt from Kutou,'_ she thought. In the tree was a Kutou assassin, watching and smirking as the three were attacked.

"Yes, my lovelies, devour the Priestess of Suzaku," he said. Suddenly the flute started playing making the bats fly away and crash into threes.

"They're crashing into the trees," Aika said with surprise.

"What is happening to them all?" The assassin asked as a young man with short blondish green hair played the flute. He wore a dark blue head band, a light blue shirt, dark blue pants, and a dark blue sash. The assassin held his head. "My head! Stop that noise!" He shouted. The boy kept going, opening his blue eyes as he made the noise louder. The assassin suddenly died and fell to the ground. The three stood up and looked over at the teenage boy who began walking over.

"So, you're the one who's been playing the flute," Aika mused a little surprised.

"I projected my life force out through the sound of this flute and confused their radar systems. You'll be fine now," he said before suddenly collapsing.

"Oh my!" Aika rushed over to him and help him sit up. "Are you all right?" She asked concerned as Hotohori knelt down beside her.

"Hang on, lad," Hotohori said to him. Aika then saw a red mark on his side.

"A mark on his body!" She said to them. Hotohori and Tasuki were shocked to see it. "So you're a Suzaku Warrior?"

"My name is Chiriko. I used to live in a village near here, but the Kutou army attacked and only I…"

"You alone escaped the burning of the village?" Hotohori asked.

"Well, you're safe now," Tasuki said to him. "Let's get back to Tamahome's place and reconvene." Aika smiled.

"At last, we found the final Warrior. We finally have all seven now," she said while he smiled back. _'Now we can get Tamahome back. Once we do, we'll summon Suzaku. Yui can go back to the way she was and we'll all be together again.'_

~0~

"So, the Suzaku Seven have gathered. I imagine they must be very happy, but that won't last. I swear," Nakago said as he reached into a cage and grabbed the bird. HE then killed it in his hand. "The game is just beginning, Priestess of Suzaku."

~0~

"The next morning, the Priestess of Suzaku and her friends soon 'goodbye' to Tamahome's family and set out for Konan."

~0~

"Goodbye, everybody. Take care of yourself," Aika smiled at Tamahome's family.

"My children and I will never forget your great kindness. Thank you all," Tamahome's father' smiled back.

"Boy, we actually found all the Suzaku Seven. I can hardly believe it, your Highness," Nuriko said.

"We have been favored," Hotohori smiled.

"Please don't go yet, miss," Yuiren frowned as she held the tail of Aika's red coat.

"Yuiren," Aika frowned.

"Yuiren! Cut it out. You show the Priestess some respect," Chuei scolded his little sister.

"But she's big brother's wife so she should stay with us forever, right? She has to stay here!" Yuiren whimpered.

"Yuiren, let go of her," Chuei said to his sister.

"No, no, no, no!" Yuiren through a tantrum. Chiriko started playing his flute.

"Chiriko!" Tasuki hissed. Yuiren started calming down until Aika gave the signal to Chiriko. "Are you nuts?! Scrambling some little kid's brain like that!" He shouted at the shocked Chiriko.

"Tasuki, it's okay. He's just made Yuiren a little sleepy to calm her down," Aika said to her friend. She knelt down to Yuiren's level and cupped her cheek. "Yuiren, I will come back to see you all, but I have some things I have to take care. Just like your big brother does when he has to go. I promise I'll be back to see you and your family, okay?" She said before softly kissing her forehead. "Just to seal this promise, I made something for you," she said before pulling out a necklace. It was a rose stone with a Hidden Leaf symbol on it. "I made it just for you, Yuiren, so you would know I would be back," she said putting it around Yuiren's neck.

"Pinky promise?" Yuiren asked holding her pinky out.

"Pinky promise," Aika smiled softly as she hooked her pinky with Yuiren's. "Be good and listen to your father and Chuei." Aika stood up before the rest of the children hugged her and she left. _'Don't worry, Yuiren. Your big brother will be home with you soon. With all Seven Warriors, Suzaku can be summoned and my wishes will be granted. I can save this Empire, Yui can return with me, then we can open that shop together.'_

~0~

Chichiri was in Hotohori's chair, hanging upside down with boredom.

"This job gets pretty lonely and I'm stir crazy!" He said to himself.

"Sire," a man said as Chichiri quickly sat up straight and acted like Hotohori.

"Yes, what?" Chichiri asked.

"We've been informed the Priestess of Suzaku has returned to the city with quite an entourage," the councilor said. Chichiri suddenly disappeared. "S-Sire?!" Chichiri ran to the gate and turned back. Aika giggled when she saw he was pretending to be the Emperor

"Welcome back, ya know!"

"We made it!" Aika smiled and hugged him which he replied to.

"What is that?!" Tasuki asked spazzing out as he looked at Chichiri.

"It's Chichiri, one of the Suzaku Seven, like us," Nuriko said amused.

"Magnificent, I can't believe we got into the palace," Chiriko smiled. Oh yeah, Chiriko, Mitsukake, and Tasuki don't know about Hotohori!

"Hotohori's missing. He's gotten lost already," Mitsukake said with an urgent tone.

"Oh, you're right. Where'd he run off to now?" Tasuki asked.

"You guys still haven't figured out who he is?" Nuriko asked them. Aika was snickering a bit when Chichiri, excited to see their reactions. "He's none other than the-!"

"That's all right, Nuriko," Hotohori replied arriving in his royal robes.

"Your Highness, I'm glad you're back safely, ya know!" Chichiri said to him. Chichiri, Mitsukake, and Tasuki stood there dumbfounded.

"He's the Emperor?!" Tasuki spazzed. They all soon went in and had a feast.

"Now, how do we return Tamahome back to Konan?" Hotohori asked.

 _'I hit the Emperor and yelled at him!'_ Tasuki freaked.

"It's all right, my friends. I'm still the man you traveled with, one of the Suzaku Seven. The main problem is we must also retrieve Suzaku's scroll Universe of the Four Gods as well as Tamahome from the enemy. The scroll contains the details of the complex ritual for summoning Suzaku. I can only remember a bit of it. We must find some way of retrieving it without triggering a war," Hotohori said to everyone.

"I'll go and get it," Aika piped up making everyone look at her. "I'll go to Kutou and free Tamahome, then I'll figure out how to get Suzaku's scroll back too. I also want to give Nakago a good beating he'll never forget," she said remembering what Nakago's done to them so far.

"I'll even go with you, Kit. I wanna hit Tamahome for leaving then I wanna beat Nakago for influencing Yui against you," Kurama said.

"Aika, what are you saying?" Hotohori said not liking where this was going. Aika sighed with a frown.

"It's my fault the Universe of the Four Gods was taken in the first place. I must take responsibility for that," she replied.

"But…"

"I can go with her and Kurama, ya know!" Chichiri told Hotohori. "However, before we leave, I think we should discuss the operation with Tamahome himself, ya know," he said to Aika.

"That's good idea, Chichiri. But one question…just how can we do that?" She asked him.

"You'll just have to wait and see, ya know!" Chichiri smiled.

~0~

Tamahome was standing at his window, looking at the night sky that held the full moon and the bright stars.

 _"I love you very much," Yui said to him._

 _'Oh man, I can't believe this. Girls from this other world are so aggressive,'_ Tamahome to himself.

 _"Why can't you just forget about her and her little games?!" Yui asked him._

 _'Even though her best friend is very sick, how can she be so cold like that? Girls are so mysterious,'_ he thought.

"Tamahome! Come in, Tamahome! Can you hear me?" Chichiri's voice rang out making Tamahome look behind him.

~0~

Nakago was walking around the palace, on his patrol until he stopped and sighed.

 _'The energy of a Suzaku Warrior, have they begun to make their move?'_

~0~

Aika took a bath to get herself all cleaned up before drying off and getting dressed. She put one a dark red dress that tied around her neck and went to her upper thigh. Over it was a strapless light red shirt and a red skirt that ended mid-thigh. She also wore her black over the knee boots. She then started brushing her hair before putting in her hair clip that held her bangs to the side.

 _"So, I'll actually be with Tamahome?" Aika asked curious._

 _"Well, sort of. It's like a spell, ya know. You can see him and he can see you and you can talk to each other, ya know. Discuss the operation, the plan, ya know!" Chichiri replied._ Aika smiled with those thoughts. She then ran out of her room to run to Chichiri's.

"Hey, Aika!" Tasuki called.

"No, Tasuki, don't call her," Hotohori said to him. "She will finally be with Tamahome, so let's leave them both alone."

"Huh?!" Tasuki freaked as he looked at the Emperor. He was suddenly on his knees, holding his head. "What's going on?! I figured you and Aika were going together! Ah! I get it! A love triangle!" He said before he was punched into a wall. Beside Hotohori was an annoyed Nuriko dusting off his hands.

"I had to do it. He's an insensitive country clod, your Majesty," Nuriko said while Hotohori sweat-dropped. Hotohori looked over at where Aika had been running.

 _'I'm happy for you, Aika,'_ he thought.

~0~

"To recover both Tamahome and the Universe of the Four Gods, the Priestess prepares to use Chichiri's magic to meet with her beloved," Naruto read.

~0~

Chichiri was next to a screen as Aika walked in and knelt down in front of it.

"Why do girls have to be late so much? Tamahome has been waiting a long time, ya know!" Chichiri said to her.

"Sorry, Chichiri," Aika said with a sheepish smile.

"Here we go!" Chichiri said putting a talisman on the screen. "Look into this screen. You won't have a lot of time, ya know! So don't waste any words." He then began chanting a spell. The leaves on the screen disappeared as Tamahome's began to appeared making Aika's eyes widen slightly. She then smiled when she saw him completely, kneeling down right across from her.

"Tamahome…"

 **Kida: Finally! Aika and Tamahome get to see each other again!**

 **Kido: Too bad that won't get to last.**

 **Kida: *Sulks*Dammit, I know...**

 **Kido: Uh...sorry?**

 **Chichiri: That wasn't a good thing to say, ya know!**

 **Kido: No duh, monk boy.**

 **Kida: Anyways! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please favorite and comment! If you can, tell your friends! Please! I desperate for more viewers!...It's why I have this on two freaking sites.**


	19. Christmas Special

Aika woke up early in the morning and dug out her calendar. She smiled at the date, Christmas Eve! Today was the day she was going to sneak out of the palace and go shopping for the Suzaku Warriors. She got dressed and managed to sneak out of the palace after leaving a clone in her place. She soon made it to the market area and began looking around.

"Okay, so I need something for Tamahome, Hotohori, Nuriko, Chichiri, Tasuki, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Kurama! Then there's Tamahome's father, and his siblings, Chuei, Gyokuran, Shunkei, and Yuiren," She said looking over the list. She saw a shop and smiled a bit when she saw something that she thought Nuriko, Gyokuran, and Yuiren would like. Three down, ten to go! She kept looking around and soon found everything she needed for everyone. She bought some wrapping paper and wrapped what she could after putting the items in boxes. She then marked them all for whose present was whose. "Man, I can't wait to see the look on their faces!" She smiled before going back to the palace. She snuck in and hid the presents under her bed. There was a knock on the door.

"Aika, you in there?" Tamahome asked.

"Yeah! Just a minute!" Aika called before hurrying to the door and opening it. She walked out and closed the door quickly making Tamahome raise an eyebrow.

"Okay, what are you hiding?" He asked.

"Me? Nothing! Whatever gave you that kind of idea?" Aika asked with a nervous laugh until she saw Tamahome's face. She sighed. "Fine…but it's a surprise until tomorrow so you'll just have to wait!" She told him.

"Eh? Why tomorrow?!" Tamahome asked her almost pouting.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Aika giggled a bit. "Now, If you'll excuse me, I have some errands I need to attend to. If I find you you've went into my room, snooping around, you won't like the outcome!" She said giving a firm look that made Tamahome gulp slightly.

"Got it, got it," he said putting his hands up in surrender.

"Good," Aika smiled before kissing his cheek and going to the kitchen. Time for Christmas cookies!

~0~

Tamahome sighed as he watched her leave. He looked at her door and groaned, his hand itching to open the door.

"Dammit! What the hell is she hiding in there?!" He exclaimed.

"Tamahome, is something wrong?" Hotohori asked walking up with Tasuki and Nuriko.

"Yes, Aika's hiding something and she won't let me see until tomorrow!" Tamahome complained.

"Eh? What could she be hidin' in there?" Tasuki blinked a bit.

"I don't know! That's why I want so bad to go in there, but she threatened me about going in there!" Tamahome sulked. Nuriko giggled.

"Maybe she got you something and doesn't want you to see it," he said to his friend. Tamahome blinked.

"G-got me something? A present? Why would she feel the need to do that?" He asked.

"Isn't that what lovers do? I thought they bought presents for each other once in a while, ya know," Chichiri said walking up as well with Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Kurama. Kurama's eyes widened.

"Wait, what's the date today?" He asked.

"December 24th. Why?" Chiriko asked. Kurama went bug eyed.

"Crap! I totally forgot! I have to go! Bye!" He said before running off to the market place.

"What's the big deal about today's date?" Tasuki asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Tamahome muttered before going to the kitchen. The others followed and they soon saw Aika baking in the kitchen.

"Aika, if you wanted something baked, you could have asked the chef," Hotohori said making the poor girl jump with a yelp.

"Don't scare me like that!" Aika whined while the others were amused.

"I apologize for scaring you. What is it that you're doing?" Hotohori asked.

"Oh….making cookies," Aika replied.

"You know you could have asked a cook to make some," Nuriko pointed out.

"They don't know how to make these types of cookies. Now, all of you, out!" Aika pointed to the door.

"Why do we have to leave?!" Tasuki asked.

"You'll see tomorrow! Skedaddle!" Aika told them as she pushed them out.

"What is happening tomorrow, Aika?" Mitsukake asked.

"Like I said, you'll just have to wait and see tomorrow."

"But we don't wanna wait!" Tamahome said to her.

"Too bad!"

"But, Aika…" Chiriko pouted.

"Nope!" Aika closed the door in their faces. She let out a sigh of relief. "Good, back to work!" She said after locking the door and going back to baking.

~0~

In Hotohori's office, the Suzaku Seven were discussing what they should do to figure out what tomorrow was and why Aika was being so secretive. Hours passed and they had nothing.

"I got nothing! There's nothing happening tomorrow," Nuriko said.

"I guess we have no choice but to wait for tomorrow," Hotohori said with a sigh while everyone slumped. Suddenly something came under the door. Tamahome raised an eyebrow and picked it up.

"It's addressed to all of us," he said to the Warriors. He opened it and looked it over. "It says to meet in the ball room tomorrow morning at ten o'clock," he said to them.

"What the hell is that girl plannin'?" Tasuki asked ready to rip his hair out.

"Like Hotohori said, we'll just have to wait until tomorrow," Mitsukake said.

~0~

The next day came and everyone made their way to the ball room, having a feeling that Aika was already there seeing as she wasn't in her room.

"Kurama, do you know what's going on?" Chiriko asked.

"Yup, but trust me, you'll all like it," Kurama grinned.

"I hope so," Tamahome muttered before they opened the door. What they saw surprised them all into awe. It was decorated with beautiful decorations. There was red garland around with gold and green metallic bulbs hanging on the arches of the garland. They saw a feast that seemed to fit the theme. Then there was a large tree that was decorated with garland and ornaments with a star on top. Under the three were wrapped packages. Aika appeared and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, guys!" She said to them.

"I-it looks beautiful," Nuriko said looking around.

"Aika, what's Christmas?" Tamahome asked walking up to her with the others. Aika smiled warmly at them.

"It's the day we spend time with our family and friends. We open presents, have some yummy food, and sing carols. Well, we can skip the carols if you want. This is why I haven't been around for the past few days. I was getting all this ready. I bought presents yesterday morning then cooked all day. I…I wanted share this day with you guys because its meant for family and friends," she said to them. Everyone was touched from hearing that. "Oh, and I invited your family," she said to Tamahome who was surprised. He looked over and saw his family walking over. He smiled and hugged them.

"Aika invited us a couple weeks ago, telling us about a special day we all get to share," Tamahome's father said.

"Yeah! And we get to see you!" Yuiren said hugging her brother's leg. Tamahome chuckled and hugged her. Aika smiled as she watched them.

"So, what first? Breakfast or presents?" She asked.

"I am rather hungry. When we first went to the dining hall, there were no chefs and nothing on the table," Hotohori said.

"Oh…I-I kinda told them to take the day off and spend it with their families. I hope that's okay," Aika said sheepishly.

"It's all right, Aika. That was quite thoughtful of you," Hotohori smiled at her. With that, everyone sat at the table and ate breakfast.

"Wow. That was amazing!" Chuei grinned.

"I'm glad you liked it, Chuei," Aika smiled at him. "Now, I say we let the children go first and get their presents. Your names are on the boxes so you'll be able to find them," she said to the four children who grinned and ran to the tree. They all grabbed the present that had their names on them. Chuei opened his to find a sheathed dagger.

"Whoa, this dagger looks incredible!" He said looking it over.

"Well, with Tamahome here, I thought you might need something to protect the family with. I can teach you how to use it," Aika said to him. Chuei grinned and hugged her.

"Thank you!" He said to her as Aika hugged him back with a small giggle.

"These are so pretty!" Gyokuran said as she and Yuiren pulled out kimono like dresses. Gyokuran's was a pale red with a pink sash. Yuiren's was a light pink with a light blue sash.

"Can you help us put them on, miss?" Yuiren asked Aika. The Priestess smiled and nodded.

"Of course, come with me," she said leading the two out of the room for a moment.

"Big brother, look! I got a sling shot!" Shunkei said showing Tamahome who smiled.

"That's pretty cool. Maybe I can teach you how to shoot it," he said ruffling his little brother's hair. The three girls came back with the now beautifully dressed Gyokuran and Yuiren.

"You two look so beautiful," their father smiled. Aika smiled and handed him a present. "Oh, Lady Aika, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to. I didn't want you to be left out, sir," Aika smiled at him. He opened it to find a framed picture of his family.

"So that's why you decided to use that thing on us," Tamahome said.

"That thing is called a camera. As for how I got the picture to show was a miracle. Developing photos isn't easy in this world," Aika mused. Tamahome's father smiled as he held the picture.

"Thank you, Lady Aika. It's a wonderful gift," he said to her. Aika smiled at him and gave his shoulder a small squeeze.

"I'm glad you like it," she replied. She then passed out the presents to the Warriors and Kurama.

"Beef, beef, and more beef…Aika, you know me too well!" Kurama grinned before he started munching on his beef. Chiriko opened his present and found a new flute. He was surprised to see it was made out a silver and gold metal.

"This is beautiful, Aika. Thank you!" Chiriko smiled.

"I had noticed your old one was getting worn out and thought you might need a new one. It was my mother's. I can't play it to save my life, but I thought it would be put to great use with you," Aika smiled back.

"I shall take great care of it, Aika," Chiriko promised. Mitsukake opened his to find journals. He looked through them and was surprised.

"Medical journals and recipes. Aika, where did you get this?" He asked.

"Back home. My friend Sakura gave me some medical journals to help me with some remedies for my shop. I have the recipes and such copied down. I thought you might like it," Aika said while Mitsukake smiled.

"I do like them. Thank you, Aika. I shall make great use of them," he promised. Next was Tasuki who took out a sheathed sword with a ruby on the handle.

"That is a special sword. You concentrate energy into it and the blade will be engulfed with flames," Aika smiled at him. Tasuki grinned and unsheathed the sword before concentrating some energy into it. Suddenly the blade was as said, engulfed with flames.

"Cool! I could use an extra weapon in case of something," he said before the flames disappeared and he sheathed it. Aika smiled at him and nodded. Chichiri was the next to open it and found scrolls with jutsus on them.

"Seeing as what you do is close to what ninjas can do in my world, I thought they might come in handy," Aika said to him.

"I love them, ya know! They will definitely come in handy when we go against Kutou, ya know!" Chichiri grinned. Nuriko was staring at his with shock.

"Do you like it, Nuriko?" Aika asked hopingly. Nuriko pulled out a gold kimono like dress with transparent sleeves, and over the skirt was a transparent skirt as well. The sash was red and silk.

"This must have cost a fortune," Nuriko said looking at the beautiful robes.

"Well, I gave them some money from my world. It's real gold so that's worth a lot around here. "Do you like it?" Nuriko hugged her.

"I love it. Thank you, Aika," he smiled before going to change into it. He soon came out, looking more like a woman and a beautiful one at that. Hotohori opened his to find a handled mirror. He picked it up and looked at it. It was gold that had been molded into an elegant design. On the back was a phoenix like Suzaku.

"People are always saying how beautiful you are, but you rarely get to see it for yourself," Aika said to him. Hotohori smiled and hugged.

"I love it, Aika. Thank you," he said to her making Aika smile, glad he liked it. Now it was time for Tamahome's. Tamahome opened it up to find the yin of yin yang. It was on a black leather cord that he picked up.

"Aika?" He went to ask until he saw she pulled out yang from under her shirt. She was already wearing half of the necklace. She took his part of the necklace and put it on him before connecting the pieces of yin and yang together.

"To show we are always together, no matter what. We're like yin and yang," Aika said to her lover.

"One half of the other," Tamahome smiled at her before kissing her softly. Aika smiled as she kissed back. They pulled away before he hugged her. "Merry Christmas, Aika," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Tamahome," Aika whispered back as she smiled. This was definitely one Christmas she wouldn't forget.

To all of you lovely readers from the author and characters Ninja Priestess: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!


	20. Love Trap

**Kida: We're finally going to get Tamahome back!**

 **Naruto: You really like Tamahome, huh?**

 **Kida: I can't help it. He's cute, romantic, strong-**

 **Tasuki: We get it.**

 **Kida: Well, Tasuki, are you jealous?**

 **Tasuki: *Blushes* I'M NOT JEALOUS!**

 **Nuriko: He's jealous. Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs. Please enjoy!**

An agent sent from Kutou targeted Lady Aika, the Priestess of Suzaku, in another assassination attempt. She was rescued by Chiriko, the final warrior of the Suzaku Seven.

 _'At last, we have all seven Warriors. Now we can get Tamahome back. Once we do that, we can summon Suzaku, Yui can go back to the way she was, and we'll all be together again,'_ Aika thought smiling. Returning to Konan, the Lady Aika was able to contact Tamahome, still imprisoned in Kutou, by means of a spell cast by Chichiri. Tamahome's began to appeared making Aika's eyes widen slightly. She then smiled when she saw him completely, kneeling down right across from her.

"Tamahome…"

"Aika," Tamahome smiled at her. Aika frowned in worry when she saw the bruises.

"Tamahome, what happened to you? Who did this?" She asked.

"That doesn't matter right now. Are you still sick? I heard you came down with a serious disease," Tamahome said with worry.

"Yeah, I was. But I was cured by Mitsukake," Aika replied.

"Mitsukake?" Tamahome tilted his head confused. Aika smiled.

"We found the final Warrior. All of the Suzaku Seven have been gathered," she told him.

"Really?" Tamahome asked surprised.

"Tasuki, Mitsukake, Chiriko, along with Hotohori, Nuriko, Chichiri, and you, Tamahome," Aika smiled that warm smile that Tamahome loved. Aika rested her hands on the screen while Tamahome smiled and pressed his hands to hers on the screen.

"Well done, Aika," he said to her.

"There's more. We stopped by your village and found your family. They're all doing fine," Aika assured.

 _"Lady Priestess, please give this message to my son. Tell him to do well and live bravely as a Suzaku Warrior and that we're all proud of him," Tamahome's father said._

 _"I'm taking care of the little kids so you don't have to worry about anything," Chuei added._

"I see…good," Tamahome smiled with his eyes closed.

"Aika, I can't keep up this spell forever, ya know!" Chichiri piped up.

"Sorry, Chichiri. I'll hurry," Aika said to him before looking back at Tamahome. "Tamahome, Kurama and I are coming there to Kutou to get you."

"Huh?" Tamahome asked shocked.

"Where can we meet? Name it and I'll be there and then we'll figure out how to get back the stolen copy of the Universe of the Four Gods," Aika stated.

"I can get the Universe of the Four Gods, but it'll be dangerous if they find you there," Tamahome told her.

"I'm not scared and I'll have Chichiri and Kurama with me. And then, there's Yui to think about," Aika frowned a bit. Tamahome sighed a bit as he looked away. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied looking back at her. "Let's see….Oh yeah! I know a meeting place." What they didn't know was that Yui had heard them when she was coming to bring tea.

"Alright. Tomorrow night. Meet me there when the moon has risen to it's highest," Aika smiled at him.

"I will," Tamahome smiled back.

"I'll be with you next time…for real," Aika said with a smile that showed how relieved she would be to have him home where he was safe.

"Aika," Tamahome murmured.

"Tamahome…" Aika said softly before they shared a kiss, even when the screen was between them.

 _'I love you,'_ Tamahome thought.

 _'Tamahome, soon you'll be home, safe with us,'_ Aika thought.

"I can't hold it any longer, ya know!" Chichiri shouted as he collapsed. Suddenly the screen went back to normal with the leaves on it. "But it worked, ya know. You were able to communicate safely," he said looking at Aika who had her head down. "Aika, are you okay?"

"Yeah…I-I'm just happy he's finally coming back home," Aika said with a closed eye smile that made Chichiri smile as well.

~0~

 _'All of the Suzaku Seven have been found,'_ Tamahome thought before smiling. "Nicely done, Aika," he praised before hearing the door open. He looked over to see Yui who looked angry.

"I overheard."

"Yui," Tamahome murmured as she walked over.

"Somehow you were talking to her! To Aika!" She said to him.

"She'll be coming for us, tomorrow," Tamahome stated shocking her. "The Suzaku Seven have all been gathered. I'm finally going home and you and Aika can be together again," he said before Yui placed her hands on his arms. "Yui…" She brought his hand to her chest, over her heart as tears pour from her eyes. Tamahome's eyes widened.

"I wanna be all yours! I love you, Tamahome! I've loved you since the first moment we met!" She cried.

"Let go, Yui."

"But why?! Why do you love her so much?! What's so special about her?!" Yui asked. Tamahome thought about his times with Aika. From when they first met, to the moment he saved her all those times, to those talks they had, down to the moments he got to see those warm brown eyes and her sweet smile. The moment he first saw that smile, he felt something. Something he didn't recognize. But now he knew it was her smile and golden heart that got him to love her.

"Let me go," Tamahome said softly to her. Yui let his hand go then. Yui's tears streamed down her face as she looked down.

"You…won't even hold me?" She asked him.

"I can't hold you that way because there's only one person I truly love. Only one person I want to protect and care for. Forever. I love Aika, that's why I can't return the feelings you have for me," Tamahome said while Yui's cheeks turned red. She then ran out of the room crying, leaving Tamahome there. "I'm sorry, Yui." Yui just kept running as his voice echoed in her head. _"Because there's only one person I truly love. Only one person I want to protect and care for. Forever. That's why I can't return the feelings you have for me."_ Nakago appeared and saw Yui.

"Priestess?" He asked.

"Nakago!" Yui cried before throwing herself into his arms. Nakago was taken back before looked to see her tears.

"Tell me what's wrong, Lady Yui," he said to her.

"Tamahome. He told me he's leaving! I don't want him to go! I don't want her to have him! I don't want Aika to get to have him!" Yui sobbed. Nakago held her in his arms.

"Do not fear, Lady Yui. I'm here to help you, aren't I?" Nakago asked her. He gently pulled away and placed something in her hand before closing her hand. "Tamahome can be yours and yours alone if you so desire if you use this. It will work. Tamahome will be yours and yours alone forever if you use this."

~0~

Aika was in her room, dressed in her tank top and shorts as she looked up at the night sky.

 _'I want to be with Tamahome again. Please, let me be with him again,'_ she thought as she looked up at the full moon, seeing a shooting star. _'I wonder if this is how Sakura felt when Sasuke left. No, it's not the same. He wanted revenge while Tamahome wants to keep us safe,'_ she thought.

~0~

"The Priestess of Suzaku made a wish on the stars to be reunited with Tamahome," Naruto read as the others listened.

~0~

Hotohori and Nuriko were watching as the courtiers got everything ready for the summoning of Suzaku the next morning.

"Preparations for the ceremony to summon Suzaku are proceeding well, your Highness. We're right on schedule," Nuriko said.

"Hm. Once we have recovered Tamahome and Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods, we can commence," Hotohori smiled. "Where is Aika?" He asked looking at Nuriko.

"I, uh…" Nuriko trailed off before going off to Aika's room. Aika was sitting at her mirror, brushing her hair a bit. "Aika?" He asked making the poor girl jump with a yelp.

"Nuriko! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Aika exclaimed.

"Sorry, I just came to see how you were doing. You okay?" Nuriko asked her as he walked up.

"Yeah, just getting this weird vibe. It's nothing," Aika said smiling.

"Okay, if you're sure. Anyways, I've come bearing gifts," Nuriko smiled as he handed her something that was wrapped. Aika unwrapped it and found two dolls together. "It's a lovers sweet heart doll. They're very popular with all the girls in the city. It's very childish, I know, but you're supposed to write the name of the guy you like on the male doll and your own name on the female. Then you burry it in the ground somewhere no one can find it and it will presumably make the love share eternal."

"You really want me to have it?" Aika asked surprised at this.

"Of course I do. It didn't work for crossdressers," Nuriko sighed. On the doll was his name and Hotohori's. "Go on, write both your names on it."

"I will," Aika chuckled a bit before doing so. She smiled as she held the doll. _'If this did really work then we would be together forever,'_ she thought. She didn't normally believe in this sort of thing, but she decided to humor herself and Nuriko. Suddenly the doll cracked and broke in her hands making Aika step away with wide eyes. Nuriko gave her a nervous smile.

"Aika, don't worry. The doll didn't mean anything at all, really," he said hoping to reassure her. "It might just be old and that's why it cracked." Aika kept her eyes on the doll. "Aika?" Nuriko asked concerned. "Does this have to do with that vibe you felt before?"

"Y-yeah…Nuriko, I keep getting this horrible feeling something's going to happen with Tamahome. It's worrying me and…I-I feel powerless to stop it because I don't know what it is!" Aika said to her.

"Aika…" Nuriko frowned at her. He wrapped one arm around her while his hand rested on the shoulder closest to him. "I'm sure everything will be okay. We will get Tamahome back, okay?"

"I hope so, Nuriko. I really do," Aika replied.

~0~

Yui was making her way to Tamahome's room with a tray of food as she thought back to what Nakago said to her.

 _"Use this. If you sincerely wish Tamahome to be yours and yours alone, put it in his favorite food and I swear he'll never know what hit him," Nakago said to her._ Yui set the tray on the table before looking over at Tamahome who was asleep.

 _"I can't hold you that way, Yui. I love Aika," Tamahome said to her._ Yui looked at the tiny envelope in her hand. She opened it to see a black pill and went to put it in his food. Her shaky hand stop.

 _'If I put this in his food….if he eats it…'_ she thought to herself. After a bit, Tamahome woke up and she ran out of the room.

"Yui!" Tamahome said sitting up, knowing it was her that was running away. He saw the food on the table. "I wanted to talk to her. I'm not surprised she shuns me, I let her down kinda hard, but somehow I have to make sure she's ready to come with us when Aika comes tonight. If she keeps avoiding me, I'll have to go find her," he said standing up.

~0~

It was night time now and Tamahome was dressed to leave. He snuck around to try and find Yui who was with Nakago at the moment.

"It's no use, Nakago. I tried to put it in his food twice today and I couldn't," Yui said.

"Lady Yui, getting what you want sometimes requires swift action and extraordinary methods," Nakago said to her. What they didn't know was that Tamahome was listening. Nakago knelt down beside Yui and placed a hand on hers. "Like when you made your choice and volunteered to become the Priestess of Seiryuu here," he added making Tamahome gasp quietly in shock. "All because you wanted so badly to avenge your betrayal by that sneaky Suzaku ninja girl." Tamahome's fist clenched.

 _'What?'_

"Will you give Tamahome back to her without a fight? You'll let her summon Suzaku and have all she wishes for? You want her to be that happy when you will be left with nothing?" Nakago asked.

 _'This can't be! Y-Yui, you willing turned against Aika?'_ Tamahome thought angered and betrayed. Inside the room, Nakago was smirking as he held Yui in his arms.

~0~

Aika was dressed in her mother's outfit, all ready to go.

"Most of all, be very careful," Hotohori said as Aika put on her red belt on her thigh holder.

"Got it," Aika smiled.

"Are you sure we can't go alone with you, Priestess?" Chiriko asked. Aika smiled a bit.

"I wish you all could, but it's really…"

"It's not really a good idea to have more than necessary, ya know. It would put a strain on my barrier. Even with me concealing our life force the enemy may still detect us, ya know!" Chichiri said to Aika.

"I'm comin' with ya!" Tasuki stated.

"Tasuki," Aika said a bit surprised.

"I wanna meet Tamahome and you might need my fire. After all, we're both wings that can handle fire, Aika," Tasuki smirked.

 _'Right, my last name means 'fire wing'. Heh, what a coincidence,'_ Aika thought smiling. She sighed a bit. "Okay, big brother. But it's up to Chichiri," she said to him.

"'Big brother'?" Chichiri and the others blinked.

"Anyways, considering you two are too stubborn to fight down, all right. He can come with," Chichiri said to them. Tasuki ruffled Aika's hair making her chuckle. Kurama jumped into her arms.

"Well, let's go! Get to your magic show, monk!" The Nine Tails said. Chichiri throw his cape down.

"Here, get on the cape," he said to them. Aika and Tasuki got onto the cape with Chichiri. "Now let's be off!" He added before touching the cape with his staff. The cape began to glow then. Tasuki fell in while Aika smiled and waved at the others.

"We're off. Bye, everyone!" She said as Kurama jumped in.

"You be careful!" Nuriko told her before Aika disappeared. Chichiri jumped in and his staff and cape disappeared with him.

"They're gone," Mitsukake said a bit surprised.

"I hope they'll all be all right," Nuriko said worried.

~0~

"Wow, Chichiri, you're spells are amazing….but couldn't you have found a better place to make our landing?!" Aika scolded. They all landed on a tree branch. Tasuki was on the bottom, Kurama was on top of him with Aika on top of Kurama and Chichiri was on top of her. Tasuki let out nervous noises.

"Great! Now how the hell do we get down?!" Kurama asked.

"Ah! Stop moving around!" Tasuki shouted nervously. The branch snapped making everyone but Chichiri scream as they fell to the ground

"Well, I'm okay, ya know!" Chichiri said as he used his cape to hang from the tree.

"Well, we're not okay, ya know!" Aika, Kurama, and Tasuki retorted.

"I smell a lot of sweet smelling flowers," Kurama muttered.

"Wow, today really is our lucky day," Aika smiled.

"Why is that?" Tasuki asked her as Chichiri jumped down.

"Well, because of where I promised Tamahome I'd meet him," Aika replied.

 _"There's a giant tree in the garden surrounded by lots of sweet smelling flowers. I'll meet you there when the moon is at its highest, my love," Tamahome had told her._

"See? Animals, such as Kurama, can smell better than we can," Aika pointed out.

"Right, I get it," Tasuki said before standing up with Chichiri in his hand. "Well, Kurama, it's up to you to lead us to him." Chichiri made a fox sound.

"I've got Kurama," Aika sweat-dropped. Kurama sweat-dropped in her arms. Tasuki sweat-dropped as soon as he realized.

"He's not all there, is he?" He asked.

"I think he hit his head when we fell from the tree," Aika mumbled. "Go for it, Kurama," she said to her friend.

"Got it!" Kurama said as he jumped down and began sniffing. He was then leading the group around to find the tree. After a bit they made it to some tall grass and Aika moved it.

"How much further?" She sighed before smiling when she saw the tree.

"I spy with my little eye….a giant tree!" Kurama said grinning. Aika smiled and picked him up into her arms.

"This is our meeting place. Great job, Kurama," Aika smiled before kissing his forehead. Kurama blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, you know, it was nothing," he said sheepishly. Aika then remembered that doll Nuriko had given her.

 _'Just forget that doll, Aika. That was just an accident,'_ Aika thought. "Tamahome's going to be here real soon. And finally, he'll get to come home," she smiled. She then frowned. _'Then how come that vibe I'm getting is feeling worse?'_ She thought.

"Hey, it'll be alright," Kurama assured her, knowing she was getting a bad feeling about this.

~0~

 _"You want her to be happy? So you'll let her summon Suzaku and have all she wishes?"_ Nakago's voice rang through Yui's head as she bathed. A sakura petal fell into the water and she picked it up with her finger as she frowned.

"No, wait! The Priestess is bathing!" A maid said.

"Let me go!" Tamahome said before making the two maids let go of his arms. Yui could see him from behind the screen. "Yui, listen-!"

"Tamahome!" Yui turned away, covering her chest. "Wh-what are you doing here?!" She asked embarrassed. Tamahome turned away from her.

"Before I go meet with Aika, there's something important I need to ask you. Did you…did you willingly become the Priestess of Seiryuu? Did you want to become your best friend's enemy?" Tamahome asked, trying to keep the anger out of his tone. "Answer me!"

"Yes I did! But it was…it was all her fault! She was the one who betrayed me first! And she's responsible for everything that's happened to me here!" Yui said making Tamahome's eyes widen a bit. "Before that…no, before that I would have never considered stealing you away from Aika, but after she betrayed me…I just can't let her have you!"

"But Yui, weren't you-? You and Aika have been best friends for a long time," Tamahome said as a maid placed some incents outs. "So you have no intention of coming to Konan with us?" He asked. Yui remained silent. "I see. Have it your way," he said before starting to walk away. Yui stood and looked over panicked when she heard his footsteps.

"Tamahome?" She asked before seeing he was leaving. _'He's leaving! Tamahome is-is leaving me!'_ She thought. Tamahome stopped and grunted when the smell of the incents hit his nose. He fell to his knees and covered his nose and mouth.

"W-what is this?!" He asked muffled behind his hand. The two maids walked up to him, their sleeves covering their noses.

"Are you all right, Master Tamahome?"

"This toxic musk seems to be having some effect on you"

"Come, let's get you back to Lady Yui, shall we?" A maid grabbed him from behind.

"Let me go!" Tamahome glared as he struggled. "I have to go meet someone!" Yui got out of the water and the maids wrapped her with a blanket.

"You can't leave, not ever," Yui said walking up to him.

"Y-Yui…" Tamahome struggled to say as Yui knelt in front of him. She put a pill in her mouth before kissing him, making the pill go into his mouth and down his throat.

 _"Promise me, Tamahome," Aika said with the same warm smile._

 _'A-Aika,'_ Tamahome thought before he closed his eyes and blacked out in Yui's arms. Behind a pillar was a smirking Nakago who had seen everything.

~0~

Back at the three, they were all waiting for Tamahome. Aika leaned against the tree, her hand to her chest over her heart.

 _"What happened, Tamahome? Why haven't you come yet? It's way passed the time you promised to meet me. What's wrong? Does it have to do with this bad feeling I have?'_ She thought.

"So this guy thinks he so hot he can blow off dates. Or is he scared to show because he doesn't wanna give up his new girlfriend here?" Tasuki asked irritated. Aika's eyes widened a bit.

"You idiot!" Kurama shouted before slapping him upside the head with his tail.

 _'He'll come. He just has too. Any minute now he'll pop out of the bushes with a smile and say 'sorry I'm late'. Tamahome, please come soon,'_ Aika thought desperately. There was a rustling of the bushes making the four turned. "Something isn't right," she stated before they saw the spears.

"It's been a while, Aika," Yui greeted with a cold tone.

"Yui," Aika said before glaring at Nakago.

~0~

"The Priestess of Seiryuu appeared from out of the bushes accompanied by Nakago and a regiment of soldiers," Naruto read. His hands gripped the book hard with anger. "That damn Nakago…why, Yui?"

 **Kida: Yui...that bitch!**

 **Tasuki: Let me at her! *Ready to use fan***

 **Kida: Go for it! Burn her to a crisp!**

 **Tasuki: Rekka-!**

 **Naruto: *Grabs Tasuki* She's needed for the story and she's my friend!**

 **Kida: But, but...**

 **Naruto: NO!**

 **Kida: *Pouts* Fine. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and want to kill Yui as much as I do. Please favorite and comment!**


	21. Shattered Love

**Kida: T-this story is almost done...**

 **Guys: WHAT?!**

 **Kida: Well, until the squeal anyway.**

 **Guys: *Sigh of relief***

 **Naruto: Don't scare us like that!**

 **Kida: Sorry, sorry. I, Kida Tenshi, do not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. I only own Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs! Enjoy, loves!**

Assisted by Chichiri's magical mysterious powers, the Priestess of Suzaku was able to communicate with the imprisoned Tamahome and the arrangement from Kutou. However, Nakago of the Seiryuu Seven executed a wicked plot designed to fort their plans. And so when Lady Aika along with Chichiri, Kurama, and Tasuki showed up at the scheduled meeting place to wait for Tamahome, their wait was a long one.

"Yui," Aika said before glaring at Nakago.

"It's been a while, Aika," Yui greeted with a cold tone. General Nakago appeared before them with a regiment of soldiers as well as Lady Yui, the Priestess of Seiryuu. "It seems like such a long time, Aika. You are looking well."

"I wish I could say the same now about you, Yui," Aika replied. She may still consider her a best friend, but with Yui's attitude, there was no talking her out of it.

"You idiots. You made so much noise, you announced your own arrival," Nakago said stepping up.

"I don't remember talking to you," Aika said coldly to him making him smirk at her.

"Aika, get back!" Tasuki said stepping in front of her. "Rekka Shinen!" He waved his fan, but no flames came out. Only a spark did anyway and that made Tasuki go bug eyed.

"Why am I not surprised? A spell of your own I presume?" Aika glared at Nakago.

"Pretty smart, aren't you, Aika? So, you're Tasuki. It's unfortunate that none of you can use your powers within the barrier I summoned," Nakago said as his hand glowed, pointing it at them. Kurama growled at him.

"Bastard," he snarled.

"Kurama…" Yui said surprised.

"Don't talk to me, scum!" Kurama growled at her making her flinch back. "You not only betrayed Aika, but you betrayed Naruto. I can tell he's angry with you," he stated making sadness appear in Yui's blue eyes.

"Kurama, enough," Aika said to him.

"Now then, whom shall be the first to die? Or will you leave the decision to me?" Nakago asked pointing his glowing at them.

"Nakago, wait," Yui said making a flicker of hope appear in Aika. "Where's the fun in killing them right away? We have guests so very rarely, why not entertain them?" Yui asked, sounding cold again.

"As you wish," Nakago replied. "Take them to the dungeon." Aika glared.

"You wish!" She retorted as she ran forward.

"No! Don't!" Tasuki and Chichiri shouted. Aika focused chakra into her fist and punched one of the soldiers, making him fly back. Aika smirked.

"Chichiri! Kurama! Tasuki! Run for it!" She ordered.

"No! We won't leave you!" Tasuki shouted.

"Forget it, Kit!" Kurama told her.

"Go! Now!" Aika shouted with a firm tone as she punched and kicked other soldiers. Chichiri placed his hand on Tasuki's shoulder before they disappeared. Kurama had also vanished. Aika was then grabbed.

"Fools, they can't escape the barrier. They're here somewhere on the palace grounds. Find them. Bring them back dead or alive. Rear guard, take the girl to the dungeon," Nakago ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The guards replied.

"Yui, where's Tamahome? Where is he?" Aika asked the blonde girl, doing her best not to glare.

"I don't know. In his room sleeping, I guess," Yui replied coldly. Aika glared a bit.

"Why do I find that hard to believe? You always sucked at lying, Yui. Also, I know Tamahome. When he makes a promise, he keeps it. He promised to meet me under that tree. You did something to him. Just wait, Yui, when I summon Suzaku, I'll get you back home," Aika promised. Her brown eyes showed that determination that Yui knew all too well. Aika was then taken away. _'At least the others got away from here. I just wish I knew where they were hiding now. Doesn't matter, soon I'll be out of here. I'll bring Tamahome home, summon Suzaku, get my wishes, and Yui and I will finally be able to go home,'_ she thought to herself.

"Nakago, what really did happen to Tamahome?" Yui asked the General. "That pill was poisonous, wasn't it?!" Nakago smirked.

"There is no need to worry, Lady Yui. He is being treated with the greatest of care. The greatest of care."

~0~

Aika was pushed into the cell and fell to the ground before glaring at the guard who threw her in.

"Behave yourself in there," he told her.

"Bite me!" She retorted.

"Keep your mouth shut or I'll shut it for you," the man glared at her.

"Oh, I'd like to see you try. How about I give you a hard punch to the face before you even reach me?" Aika smirked at him. The man growled and stomped away. "Watch her," he ordered the other guard as he left.

"Yes, sir," the other guard replied. Aika sighed and sat down on the ground, leaning against the wooden bars.

 _'Tamahome isn't in his room so he has to be locked up around here somewhere, right? I'll have to look for him. But I need Chichiri, Kurama, and Tasuki for that,'_ she thought.

 _"It's been a while," Yui said coldly._ Aika frowned deeply.

 _'Yui…her voice was so flat and cold and her eyes were dull. Dead eyes. There has to be some way that it can go back to how it used to be,'_ she thought as she remembered her and Yui smiling and having a good time with Naruto. She suddenly felt something japing her. "What the hell-?" She turned and saw Kurama there.

"Heya, Kit. Ya miss me?" Kurama smiled slightly.

"Kurama," Aika smiled a bit before hugging him.

"We need to get out of here, Kit. Got a plan?" He asked as he nuzzled her a bit to comfort her. Aika thought for a second before smirking a she set him down.

"Oh yeah, I have a plan," she replied making the fox smirk as well. "Guard! Hey, guard! Hey, Mister! Guard!" She called before the guard came in.

"What is it? Keep quiet" He spat before gasping at what he saw. Aika had slipped on arm out of her vest and brought down her tank top and bra straps to make her cleavage show. She then hiked up her skirt.

"Hey, big strong soldier man. Ow, I think I hurt my leg. Can you rub it for me?" She asked seductively as she rubbed her upper thigh.

"Me?" The guard stammered with a blush.

"Please, I just can't stand it," Aika said with a lustful tone.

"Let me get this thing open!" The guard said unlocking the door quickly. Aika smirked.

 _'Operation: Seduction Trap; complete!'_ She thought happily. Kurama was watching her and blushing a bit.

 _'I'll be damned, where did she learn something so good?'_ He thought to himself as the guard came in.

"Now, Kurama!" Aika smirked.

"Got it!" Kurama said before pouncing at the guard. The man screamed bloody murder as Kurama clawed his eyes out.

"Remind me to thank Kurenai-Sensei for giving me a lesson in seducing the enemy," Aika said as she fixed her clothes.

"Oh trust me, I will!" Kurama told her.

~0~

The guards heard the man's blood curdling scream.

"Where'd that scream come from?" A guard asked.

"I don't know! Let's go see!" Another said before they all ran to go check it out.

"They're finally gone," Chichiri whispered before looking at a sulking Tasuki. "Oh, uh, what are you so happy about over there, Tasuki?"

"I'm pissed off!" Tasuki exclaimed from the other branch. "I can't believe we just abandoned Aika like that!"

"What else could we do? With the barrier sealed tight and our powers knocked out, there's no way we could've won that fight," Chichiri said with a serious tone.

"So what do you suggest we do now?" Tasuki asked.

"We wait here, suppress our life force, and move on when the time is right, ya know."

"We can't wait! Are you nuts or something?! We're here to help and if anything happened to her, I'll never forgive myself! What kind of Warrior-!" Tasuki freaked until Chichiri interrupted him.

"Don't worry!" Chichiri told him as he removed his mask to reveal his scarred face. "They will not kill Aika, ya know. I mean, no, I'm sure of it. The other girl will not let it happen, especially after what Kurama said to her," he stated.

~0~

Yui was looking out the window at the night sky before looking at the guards.

"Aika has escaped?" She asked.

"Yes, um, the cell was discovered empty except for one soldier left unconscious inside," one guard said remembering the guard. "I beg your pardon, my Lady?"

"Alright, I think I've got an idea," Yui smirked.

~0~

"This way!"

"Right!" The guards ran by. Aika peaked out from behind a pillar, holding Kurama.

 _'Tamahome, just where are you?'_ She wondered with worry before she began sneaking around. She soon made it outside and looked around. _'This place is so big, there's a chance I'll never find him. No, stop thinking like that, Aika,'_ she thought as she began walking. She soon stopped for a moment.

"D-do I smell…fish?" Kurama's mouth water. He jumped out of her arms and sniffed. "T-that sweet smell of fish…" he drooled. He took off running towards the smell.

"Kurama! Stop! Control your body, would ya?!" Aika scolded as she chased after him. She found him in a room and Kurama was drooling.

"It's…it's a wonderful feast! Can I eat it before we go?!" Kurama asked.

"No!" Aika replied before the door shut making Aika stiffen.

"Welcome, Aika and Kurama," Yui said making the two turn to see her. Yui chuckled with a smirk.

"Yui…" Aika glared a bit. She knew there was a trap and Kurama fell for it.

"Same old Kurama. You could never resist the smell of a freshly cooked meal, could you?" Yui smirked at the fox.

"I outta scalp you with my claws," Kurama growled as Aika picked him up.

"Well, don't just stand there. Let's sit down. After all, I had this food especially made for you two," Yui said to them as she took a seat. Aika and Kurama took a seat, eyes narrowed at Yui. "Go on. Eat. It's not poisoned or anything like that," Yui said before taking a drink. "In fact, it's good." Aika pushed her plate away.

"You of all people should know I don't trust the enemies cooking. Even if it was your idea, I don't trust it because of the ones who made it," she stated. Yui smirked a bit.

"I'm not surprised. I'll just say this, I will never let Tamahome go back to a rotten traitor like you. I could have killed you at any time, but that would be boring so I'm allowing you to live," Yui said with that cold and flat tone making Aika narrow her eyes again.

" _You_ could have killed _me_? Yui, you refused to learn how to fight while I trained. Plus, the only one who would stand a chance at fighting me is Nakago," she stated making Yui glare. "You know it's true. Yui, I don't know how many more times I have to apologize for that terrible thing that happened to you, but-!" Water was thrown in Aika's face.

"There's nothing you can say that can do me any good now! You didn't even try to come and save me, did you?! So while I was taking all that abuse all you could think about was Tamahome and how to get him back again!" Yui glared at her. Aika wiped her face off before staring at Yui with a calm gaze while Kurama was growling at the blonde.

"Yui, while I do love Tamahome and yes, he was part of the reason I came back here, it just doesn't even matter if Tamahome were here or not. I still would have come back through the book. I would have still come back here because you are my best friend, Yui," Aika stated surprising Yui. Yui stood quickly.

"Just stop it right now! It's much too late for that kind of talk!" Yui revealing her scar. "As long as I have this scar, I will never forgive you. You won't get Tamahome," she said before going to leave.

"Yui, stop!" Aika said standing. She ran over and grabbed Yui's arm. "Will you just stop being an idiot and listen to me?! Tell me where Tamahome is and we can all go home!"

"No way!" Yui ripped her arm away.

"Yui, please! Think about our friends back home! Please, Yui!" Aika said to her as the door opened.

"I said 'let go'!" Yui shouted before shoving her into Tamahome. Aika turned and her eyes widened when she saw Tamahome. He was wearing a black shirt that had gold accents, black pants, black boots, a blush sash, and had a blue band on his forehead. He even had a blue stud earring in his left ear.

"Tamahome…" Aika murmured.

"Aika," Tamahome said to her. Aika smiled a bit and rested her head on his chest.

"I missed you. I missed you so much," she whispered.

"Aika, I did too," Tamahome said placing a hand on her shoulder. He then grabbed his nun-chucks from his belt.

"Aika, look out!" Kurama shouted before Tamahome smirked and pushed her away.

"I missed you so much!" Tamahome sneered before going to attack the stunned Aika with his weapon. It hit her in the arm, drawing blood which made her go back in to the table. Aika winced and held her arm.

"You son of a bitch!" Kurama growled at Tamahome as he stood in front of Aika.

"What makes you think you had the right to speak to me that way, obnoxious brat?!" Tamahome snarled at Aika. Aika leaned against the wall, her dark hair covering her eyes, shadowing them.

"It…can't be…" she whispered.

 _"Aika, soon we'll be together again," Tamahome smiled at her._ The sound of the music box was playing after it had hit the flood. It then stopped and Tamahome walked up to her. "I don't want you talking to me like that ever again." A tear fell from Aika's cheek.

"No…t-this can't be happening," Aika whispered.

 _"Aika, I love you. I love you," Tamahome kissed her._ Tamahome then went to attack her again.

"I refuse to believe it!" Aika exclaimed with a glare. Before she could catch it, it hit her hair making her black and purple hair clip fall out of her hair. The weapon had hit the wall beside her and Aika slid down the wall slowly as her bangs covered her right eye.

"I missed," Tamahome hissed.

"Tamahome, are you okay?" Yui asked concerned as Kurama ran over to Aika. Tamahome's eyes softened and he smiled at Yui.

"What's that, Yui?" He asked. Kurama glared at him with a growl. "Guard!" Tamahome called. Two guards walked in. "Get this disgusting girl out of here! Your little beast too!" He ordered. Aika was grabbed and led away with Kurama Aika looked back at Tamahome, hurt and betrayal in her eyes.

 _'Why? How could he do this?'_ She thought. "Tamahome! Tell me why! Why the hell did you betray me?! Tamahome!" She screamed as she was led out.

"Tamahome, why are you doing this? Have you changed your feelings about Aika?" Yui asked the Suzaku Warrior.

"What do you mean, Yui? That girl is your rival and enemy, isn't she?" Tamahome smiled at her before walking away.

"Tamahome, what happened?" Yui whispered as Tamahome took his weapon out of the wall. He saw the hair clip on the ground and suddenly saw Aika's sad face. He picked it up and looked at it.

"Lady Yui, Lord Tamahome, the General requests your presence," A guard said as Tamahome stood.

"Of course, I'll be right there," Tamahome replied putting the clip in his belt.

~0~

"Let go of me! Let go! Let me go, you bastards!" Aika shouted as she and Kurama struggled.

"Shut up and move!" A guard shouted at her.

"I told you to let me go! When I say 'let go', I mean LET GO!" She shouted before stomping on one of the guards' feet. The guard yelping in pain before Aika's injured arm was grabbed making her scream in pain.

"Leave her alone, you bastards!" Kurama growled as he struggles.

 _"Obnoxious brat!" Tamahome spat._

 _'I can't believe it…that was not my Tamahome,'_ Aika thought as she held her arm.

 _"Soon we'll be together again," Tamahome said before they kissed with the screen between them._

 _'He promised to meet me under that tree. Something happened to him and I have to find out what. I have to talk to him, snap him out of it,'_ Aika thought.

"Walk!" A guard ordered her.

"What are you doing there?" Nakago said making Aika look to see him.

"General," the guard said as Nakago looked at Aika.

"Do you really need all these men to attend to one young girl and a fox?" Nakago asked. Kurama caught the scent of him and smirked. He knew that scent well. "Well, my preference would be to simply kill you right here. You are the Priestess of Suzaku. A public execution would be a lot more useful to us," Nakago said before grabbing her other wrist and pulling her along before grabbing Kurama as well.

"Let go of me!" Aika shouted. She then suddenly realized, his grip wasn't harsh. It was gentle. Why would he care about being gentle with her?

"You may all return to your positions. I will take them to their chamber," Nakago said.

"Yes, sir!" The men replied. Aika glanced at Nakago and didn't see any hate in his eyes.

 _'Who is he really?'_ She thought to herself until her eyes widened. Nakago gave a slight smile to confirm what she thought. Aika hid her smile. _'I should have known.'_

~0~

Chiriko was playing his flute while Nuriko was irritated.

"They're not back! They're late! Something must have gone wrong! They had more than enough time to do this!" Nuriko ranted. Hotohori was sitting in a chair, his hand cupping his chin.

 _'I was naïve to assume she would be safe with only Kurama, Chichiri, and Tasuki,'_ he thought with worry.

"Your Majesty…" Nuriko frowned. He then growled when it came to the flute. He then kicked Chiriko. "Chiriko! How can you play that at a time like this?! Don't you care at all?!" Chiriko got up with a groan.

"Don't interrupt me! I'm only trying to provide comfort to his Majesty's troubled heart!" Chiriko told him.

"Give me that flute!" Nuriko growled before the two started wrestling.

"No! I won't!"

"I can comfort him myself!"

"Obviously you can't!"

"Your Highness," Mitsukake piped up. "You seem to have a way with men." Hotohori sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

 _'Still, they are late. What has happened to you? Aika, Tamahome…'_ Hotohori thought worried.

~0~

'Nakago' was currently pulling Aika along while she looked around.

"I said let me go and I mean it!" She exclaimed as she put up an act. "I have to go back and see Tamahome!"

"Go back? You still think he'll be waiting under the tree like he said he would? If you don't behave, there's no telling what might become of your companions as well as yourself," 'Nakago' said to her.

"Speak for yourself, ya bastard!" Kurama shouted also putting up an act.

"Look there," 'Nakago' pointed to a tied up Chichiri and Tasuki.

"I think we can drop the act now," Aika smiled.

"And ruin all the fun?" 'Nakago' smiled at her.

"Please stop smiling like that. It looks weird when it comes to that bastard's face," Kurama muttered.

"Got a point, ya know," 'Nakago' said before turning into Chichiri. Tasuki shook off his gag while the other Chichiri disappeared.

"Chichiri! How dare you just leave me here tied up to a pole?!" Tasuki shouted.

"Well, you needed to believe in order to pull the whole thing off," Chichiri said before turning into Nakago, keeping the smiling face. "I look like him, don't I-?" Aika was on the ground laughing with Kurama. "Maybe too much, ya know. I made her laugh," Chichiri muttered.

"The day when Nakago acts like you is the day the worlds going to end," Aika giggled as she started to calm down.

"It'll be an apocalypse. That's why it's so funny!" Kurama chuckled. "Now, when did Kurenai teach you that seduction act?"

"Oh…when I was thirteen actually," Aika replied as she got up.

"Well, I'm glad she taught you that. It came in handy," Kurama smirked.

"What seduction act?!" Tasuki asked suddenly sounding like a protective brother.

"Just something that got me out of the prison cell," Aika replied.

~0~

Yui was walking, following behind Tamahome. It was quiet as she thought to herself. She suddenly stopped making Tamahome look at her.

"What's the matter, Yui?" He asked her.

"It's just that…it's so hard to believe, that's all," Yui replied.

"And what's that?" Tamahome inquired.

"That you would treat Aika so unkindly after all she meant to you in the past," she said to him. Tamahome smiled and walked up to her. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, surprising her.

"Don't you see? I belong to you," he said softly to her. Yui's eyes softened completely.

"I'm afraid this isn't the time or place," Nakago said making Tamahome let her go and look at him. "We have work to do first."

"Nakago," Yui said.

"Tamahome, come here to me," Nakago ordered.

"Yes, sir," Tamahome replied before going over to him.

"Remember, the followers of Suzaku are Lady Yui's enemies so they're yours too," Nakago stated.

"Yes, sir."

"It is your duty to dispose of the Priestess of Suzaku, that fox, and those two weakling Warriors as well."

"Yes, sir."

 _'Tamahome once hated Nakago and now look at them!'_ Yui thought stunned.

"If they catch sight of you, I'm sure they'll approach you immediately. Now go," Nakago ordered.

"Yes, sir," Tamahome replied before going to leave.

"T-Tamahome," Yui said making him stop.

"Yui, I'll finish them all off right away. Wait for me," Tamahome smiled at her before walking off.

"Tamahome?" She asked. She glared at Nakago. "Nakago, just what's going on here?! What has happened to Tamahome?! Is he like this because of the potion I gave him?!"

"Please calm down, Lady Yui. That potion has not harmed Tamahome's physical health in no way whatsoever. And besides, we now have quite a spectacle to look forward to," Nakago smirked.

~0~

"You know, you almost had me worried there for a second! When I first saw Nakago, I was freaking out! If it weren't for the fact that you had gently grabbed my wrist, I wouldn't have known!" Aika scolded Chichiri.

"Yeah, sorry about that, but that disguise did help me walk into the palace without any trouble, ya know," Chichiri said as he rubbed the back of his head. He then turned back into Nakago. "Can you forgive me, ya know?" He asked, looking and sounding like Nakago…except for the 'ya know'.

"Uh…yeah, just don't act like him around me. It makes want to beat you to a pulp," Aika muttered sweat-dropping.

"Stop clownin' around, would ya?" Tasuki asked Chichiri before looking at Aika's arm. "Hey, what happened to your arm?" He asked as he placed his hand gently on her arm. Aika winced harshly, biting her lip to hold back a scream of pain and placed her hand on her wound. "What did they do? Break your arm?! It's been hurt really bad!" He said actually sounding worried.

"Aika, who did this to you?" Chichiri demanded. Aika frowned and looked down.

 _'I can't tell them,'_ she thought. "N-nobody! I just fell when I was escaping from the dungeon! Anyway, we have to find Tamahome!" She said.

"Aika…" Kurama frowned.

"Kurama, who really did this?" Tasuki asked. Aika gave Kurama a pleading look.

"Tamahome did it. There's something wrong with him and I don't know what," Kurama said while the two men growled a bit in anger.

"We should head back and have Mitsukake heal you at once, ya know," Chichiri said to Aika. He stood up. "But I'll go look for Tamahome," he said turning back into Nakago. Tasuki placed his hands on Aika's shoulders gently.

"Chichiri will find Tamahome. In that disguise he can go anywhere. I'd go with him, but you need help. We need to stop this bleeding and anyway, Nakago's spell has wiped me out," Tasuki said as Aika looked down.

 _'Nakago's spell…could he have put a spell on Tamahome too?'_ Aika thought. She pulled out her handkerchief, accidently bringing out Tamahome's note that read 'I love you'. Aika looked at the note with sad eyes.

 _"I swear that I'll come back," Tamahome's voice rang in her head._

 _'The letter. Maybe if Tamahome sees it, he'll become himself again! I have to try!'_ She thought as Tasuki tied the handkerchief around her wound.

"Okay, this should do it for a little while at least," Tasuki said looking at his handy work.

"Ah! Nakago's doing a strip tease for the troops!" Aika pointed. Tasuki looked and Aika suddenly tied him back up against the pole, this time with Kurama tied up as well.

"What are ya doin'?! Why tie me up now?! If I said that I liked it, I was just jokin'!" Tasuki spazzed out.

"Let me go, Kit! I hate being tied up! You know that!" Kurama spazzed as well. Aika frowned as she held her injured armed.

"Kurama, Tasuki, I'm so sorry," she said before kissing Tasuki's cheek and running off.

"Aika!" The two called. Aika just kept running, holding her arm.

 _'I have to see Tamahome again,'_ Aika thought.

 _"I love you," Tamahome said to her._

 _'If he sees this letter….if he can just see this…'_ Aika thought, gripping the letter in her hand as Tamahome was out looking for the Suzaku Warriors.

~0~

"The Priestess of Suzaku headed for the meeting place under the giant tree, her arm in excruciating pain," Naruto read as he winced from the pain in his arm. Sakura tried to heal it, but nothing worked.

~0~

Aika grunted and fell to her knees before looking at her arm.

 _'I have to make it. I have to get to that tree again. If I wait under the tree one more time, I know Tamahome will be there,'_ she thought before standing up. _'I know Tamahome will come,'_ she thought before she took off running to the tree once again.

 **Kida: Tamahome...YOU JERK!**

 **Tamahome: It's not my fault! I was under a spell!**

 **Kida: That mean nothing to me, ya weakling! You hurt my OC! My poor Aika!**

 **Naruto: I should kill you! Believe it!**

 **Kida: Go for it, Naruto!**

 **Naruto: *Attacks Tamahome***

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please favorite and comment!**


	22. Unreachable Love

**Kida: This chapter...made me freakin' cry...**

 **Naruto: What? Why?**

 **Kida: R-read and find out...I'm just going to craw into a dark corner and die.**

 **Hotohori: Is the chapter that bad, Kida?**

 **Kida: Just read it for yourself!**

 **Nuriko: Snappy. Okay, Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only own Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. Enjoy!**

 **Kida: Or go into depression!**

Lady Aika, the Priestess of Suzaku, was captured by Lady Yui and her Seiryuu soldiers. Then after finally being reunited with him, she was brutally attacked by her beloved Tamahome.

 _'This can't be happening,'_ Aika thought. With her body and heart both badly wounded, Lady Aika headed back to their meeting place to find Tamahome and learned his true feelings.

~0~

"The Suzaku Warrior, Chichiri, crept through the enemy palace in Kutou," Sai read as Hinata tended to Naruto's arm.

~0~

Chichiri peeped around the corner of the wall to see if there were any guards there. He saw no one and hid again before transforming into Nakago. He began walking and thinking to himself.

 _'I couldn't believe Aika would try to hide who hurt her. She could never hurt herself like that, ya know. It's obvious someone did it to her intentionally. But why would Tamahome do that? I've got a bad feeling about this. Maybe I should go back, ya know,'_ he thought to himself.

~0~

"You're saying I took the Priestess of Suzaku and the fox away with me?" Nakago asked after being informed that he had taken the two away.

"Yes, sir," the guards replied.

"And I'm tell you I did no such thing," Nakago stated. Suddenly another Nakago appeared behind him and the guard's eyes widened.

"G-General," the guard said.

"Hm?" Nakago looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened a bit when he saw himself. The other Nakago, Chichiri, froze. _'A Warrior of the Suzaku Seven.'_

"Eh….Sorry! Can't stick around, ya know!" Chichiri said from Nakago's form before running off. The guards ran over.

"Patrol! After that deformed miniature General!" The guard ordered before running after Chichiri. Nakago let out a slight chuckle of amusement.

"He chose to impersonate me, how amusing," Nakago mused.

"It means Aika got away from us," Yui stated.

"So it would seem," Nakago said walking up beside her. "But I know where's she's gone I think."

~0~

"GET US OUT OF HERE!" Tasuki shouted.

"GET US OUT OF THESE DAMN ROPES!" Kurama shouted as well.

"Tasuki! Kurama! Our cover's been blown, ya know! We've gotta get out of here! Now where's Aika?!" Chichiri asked as he made it up to them.

"She's the one who tied us up like this!" Tasuki and Kurama snapped at him.

"Aika did this? And you just let her or what?" Chichiri asked them.

"I told you a million times: I hate girls, they're cheaters, and they don't play fair!" Tasuki said as Chichiri untied them.

"I may be mad at Aika, but watch it, hot head!" Kurama growled.

"Dummy! She outsmarted you, ya know!" Chichiri said to them both.

"SHUT UP!" The two shouted at him.

"Anyways, Aika's an exception because she's not like most girls. She headed in the direction of that tree. We gotta go find her right away! She's alone out there!" Tasuki stated.

"We have to hurry! If Tamahome's there then who knows what he'll do to her. He's already hurt her arm to the point it's practically broken! I don't want him to kill her too!" Kurama said before they took off running. _'Whatever's going on with Tamahome, he needs to snap out of it. But the smell in his blood…it was different. Just what was it?'_

~0~

Aika made it back to the tree as she held her bleeding arm. The wind was blowing making her bangs wave in front of her right eye that was practically covered by it.

 _'Tamahome, where are you? I know you're out here somewhere. The soldiers are gone so it's safe now. There's no need to put up this whole charade anymore. I came just like I promised. You said we'd meet here, didn't you?'_ Aika thought to herself. She didn't want to believe he had really changed. She wanted to believe he was only acting and that he would show up here. "Please, Tamahome. Please come and meet me," she whispered as she tried to hold back the tears.

 _"Obnoxious brat!" Tamahome spat._ Aika collapsed to her knees while placing a hand over her aching heart.

 _'Now I know how Sakura felt when Sasuke left the village. That time he attacked her…it hurts so much. I never thought I would be comparing myself to Sakura or Tamahome to Sasuke. Yet here I am,'_ she thought sadly as she bit back sobs, a few escaping. Suddenly arms wrapped around her small frame, making her stand up.

"I'm so sorry about before, Aika," Tamahome said to her. Aika's eyes widened and she turned to see him.

"Tamahome," she whispered as Tamahome saw her tears. "It's really you…you came," she said resting her head on his chest. Tamahome held her.

"Please don't hate me, I-I didn't wanna hurt you, honestly. I had to pretend and make them think I was one of them, on their side," Tamahome said to her.

"Really? Is that really true, Tamahome?" Aika asked as she pulled back enough to look up at him. "I-I thought you….you had forgotten all about me."

"Oh of course I haven't forgotten you. Why else would I have come to meet you here like this?" Tamahome smiled at her. Aika saw the necklace around his neck. The one she gave him. She gently held the ruby.

"It was all an act," she whispered.

"By the way, Aika, where are Tasuki, Chichiri, and Kurama? They're here with you, aren't they? You can tell me where," Tamahome said to her. Aika narrowed her eyes at him as she stepped away.

"Like I said…it was all an act," she stated as she backed away from the smirking Tamahome. "You're not the Tamahome I care about. How would you know that Tasuki's here with me? I didn't say and you never even met him. I only told you that Kurama and Chichiri were coming with me. Tamahome, if you're under some kind of spell then please, snap out of it. Here," she took out the letter "Look at this. This is the letter you wrote to me before you came here in order to keep Konan safe," she stated as Tamahome took the letter and read it. "I've kept it this entire time. It was my only link to help me keep going, to get you back and be able to bring Yui home. It says that you promised you would come back. It reads Wo Ai Ni, I love you. You wrote it yourself, Tamahome," she said hoping this would prove it to him.

"I-I wrote this?" Tamahome asked.

"Yes, you did. Look at it closely. That's your handwriting," Aika said with a small smile, hoping it was working.

"Wo Ai Ni…" Tamahome whispered.

"Do you remember?" Aika asked him. Tamahome was silent for a moment before he smirked and ripped the letter in half, stunning Aika. Aika felt like her heart was being ripped apart just as the paper was. It was being ripped to pieces.

 _"Do you know what this character on my forehead means? It's proof that I live to protect you. I live only for you, to care for you. You're the reason for my being," Tamahome smiled as his symbol glowed._ Aika felt tears running down her cheeks.

 _'No…t-there has to be a way to bring the real Tamahome back,'_ Aika thought. _"Will you never leave me, Tamahome?" Aika asked as they embraced._

 _"Of course not," Tamahome replied._

 _'What about our plans? I finally gathered the Suzaku Seven. We went through a lot, but it worked out and we found them all…but now…'_ Aika thought, remembering her times with Tamahome until she saw the ripped pieces of paper glide down to her feet. _'Now he's different. The old Tamahome I knew is gone,'_ she thought. She pictured the smiling Tamahome then it was replaced with this cold smirking Tamahome. She glared at him even with tears streaming down her face. "God dammit," she whispered.

"It's time to die," Tamahome smirked as he took out his nun-chucks. Aika took out her kunai and was ready to block his attack until she was suddenly grabbed by Tasuki.

"Tasuki…" Aika whispered. She suddenly black out. Tasuki landed a way from Tamahome and Chichiri ran over with Kurama.

"Tasuki, are you all right?!" Chichiri asked.

"Don't worry about me. What about Aika?" Tasuki asked as his temple bled.

"Aika," Kurama gently nuzzled her cheek.

"Aika, please say something to us," Chichiri said.

"She's unconscious. Well, I'm not surprised. She was hurt real bad," Tasuki said angered as his head rested against hers a bit.

"Not just physically. Emotionally too," Kurama said before growling at Tamahome. Tamahome smirked.

"The Suzaku Warriors, you saved me the trouble of looking for you. Now I'll destroy you once and for all," Tamahome said with his weapon at the ready.

"Tamahome! Hey, what happened to you, ya know?" Chichiri asked. Tasuki was shaking with anger.

"You broke Aika's arm, didn't you? Didn't you, Tamahome?!" He growled as he glared over his shoulder. Tamahome's smirk vanished as Tasuki stood up. "You did this to her!"

"Tasuki!" Chichiri exclaimed as he held Aika. "Settle down, ya know!"

"No, let the hot head knock some sense into him. If he doesn't, I will," Kurama said with a cold growl towards Tamahome.

"Not only her arm, you shattered her feelings! How could you?! After she looked forward so much in seeing you again, you went and tore all her hope and joy apart! There's no excuse for that! I'll never forgive you!" Tasuki growled as stalked towards Tamahome, ready to beat him to a pulp.

"So, you won't forgive me, huh? What are you going to do?" Tamahome asked coolly with a smirk.

"Tear you to pieces!" Tasuki replied.

~0~

"The battle between allies has now begun," Nakago said as he and Yui stood at a watch tower, looking at Tasuki and Tamahome. Nakago chuckled. "Fools. The potion Tamahome swallowed was not merely a drug. It was made from Kodoku."

"Kodoku?" Yui asked.

"Would calling it a curse make any more sense to you at all, Lady Yui? The power of the curse controls his memories making him now hate the Priestess of Suzaku. His personality has been completely remade," Nakago smirked as Yui's eyes widened. "Nothing can reverse it now, even the healing powers of Mitsukake are of no use. The Suzaku Healer can do nothing to heal him. The mark of the Ogre will never appear on Tamahome's forehead again."

~0~

Tamahome got his nun-chucks ready while Tasuki had his fists ready.

"Tasuki! Don't do it! Tamahome's a Suzaku Warrior too, ya know! He's one of us!" Chichiri called.

"Yeah right! After what he did?! No way! One of us would never do that to her!" Tasuki shouted. _'Win or lose, I'm taking him on. For you, sis,'_ he thought to himself as he thought of Aika.

"I have to stop this-!"

"Don't, Chichiri!" Kurama interrupted. "That's not Tamahome anymore. Think, if that were really Tamahome, if he were really one of us, would he have hurt Aika like this? He broke her, Chichiri! I only saw that happen once! I didn't want her to have to go through this again and it's happening! So let Tasuki beat the guy to a pulp and be quite!" He snapped at the monk. Tasuki let out a battle cry as he went to attack Tamahome.

 _"Kill the followers of Suzaku," Nakago had ordered. "Kill them!"_ Tamahome went to attack with his weapon as Tasuki threw a punch. Tamahome blocked it with his hand and went to hit him with his weapon. Tasuki dodged it as he did a round house kick, kicking Tamahome back.

"No! Tamahome!" Yui shouted. Tamahome got his weapon ready again and smirked when Tasuki jumped up. Tasuki was then kicked in the gut by Tamahome. Tasuki was sent flying into the tree as Chichiri moved himself, Kurama, and Aika. Tasuki fell to the ground and got up.

"That does it! How dare you?!" Tasuki growled.

 _'Tasuki? Hm, he's a good fighter. He can hold his own against Tamahome. Very impressive. At this rate, either one of them could win. Doesn't really matter which one it is, the result will be the same. If they lose even one Warrior that's the end of them. They will be powerless. The Suzaku Seven cannot gather and Suzaku can never be summoned. So what will you do now, Priestess of Suzaku?'_ Nakago thought as he looked at Aika. Kurama gently nuzzled the poor girl.

"This is the third time her hearts been broken," he whispered thinking Chichiri didn't hear him. Chichiri frowned as he heard that. Tamahome smirked at Tasuki, ready for his attack.

"You sure like waving those toys around, don't ya? If we're gonna fight with toys then I'll use this!" Tasuki took his fan out. "Rekka Shinen!" He shouted as waves of fire came out. Tamahome jumped out of the way to avoid being burned. Kurama smirked.

"Finally, time for Tasuki to really heat up the joint," he mused.

"It works! Has the seal been broken?" Yui asked Nakago.

"Yes it has been. It'll be more interesting," Nakago smirked.

"Now you're mine!" Tasuki shouted as he attacked, jabbing his iron fan at Tamahome who did his best to dodge the jabs. Soon the two were in the air on opposite sides. Tamahome looked at him as his headband fell off revealing his forehead, there was no Ogre symbol on it. Chichiri gasped.

 _'The Ogre symbol isn't appearing like it always does when he's in battle!'_ Chichiri thought.

"See? What did I tell you? He's no longer the Tamahome we know," Kurama stated.

"Tasuki! Stop fighting! That may be Tamahome, but that isn't Tamahome, ya know!" Chichiri shouted.

"I, ngh, don't know…what you're…talking about!" Tasuki said as he and Tamahome threw punches and weapon attacks at each other, dodging each one. Tasuki was suddenly punched. "Stop distracting me!" H shouted at Chichiri.

"Come on, Kit," Kurama said desperate to wake her up. He licked her cheek a couple times. Aika groaned softly and opened her eyes slowly. Tasuki fell back and Tamahome went to hit him with the nun-chucks until Tasuki brought his fan up to shield him. "Rekka Shinen!" He shouted. Tamahome jumped out of the way from the fire.

"Tamahome! Tasuki! NO MORE!" Aika shouted making Tasuki look over at her surprised. "Please stop! I don't want you to kill each other! Please! Just stop!" She said trying to get up but collapsing.

"Aika!" Chichiri and Kurama exclaimed as they tried to keep her.

"I-if either of you die…I-I don't know what I'll do. I can't lose him and I can't lose my brother! Please! Don't do it!" Aika cried while Tasuki stood there stunned.

"Even after all of the pain and torment he inflicted on her…huh, how very heroic of her," Nakago said amused.

 _"It just doesn't even matter if Tamahome were here or not. I still would have come back through the book. I would have still come back here," Aika had told Yui._ Yui closed her eyes. Tamahome kicked Tasuki who blocked with his forearms. Tasuki skid back a bit.

"Pay attention," Tamahome said coldly to him. Tasuki glared and put his fan away. "Now what are you doing?" Tamahome glared as Tasuki stood up.

"I'm not afraid of fighting you one on one with my bear hands, like a man!" Tasuki stated. Tamahome hit him again and Tasuki fell to the ground. He groaned when Tamahome stepped on his head.

"What's the matter, flame boy? You through fighting so soon? Why don't you use your hands like a man, huh? Well, I have no reservations about using my weapon," Tamahome said before he started hitting Tasuki with his nun-chucks.

"Tasuki!" Aika exclaimed. "He could be killed! Chichiri, do something! We can't let him get beat up like that!" She said to the monk.

"Sorry, but I can't. Even if I could somehow intervene at this time, it wouldn't make any difference, ya know!" Chichiri told her. Kurama growled and ran forward.

"Kurama, no!" Aika shouted. Kurama bit Tamahome's arm making Tamahome cry out in pain. Tamahome hit him with the nun-chucks making Kurama let go and fly back, hitting the ground. "Kurama!" Aika shouted as the fox laid there knocked out.

"Kurama..." Tasuki grunted out. Tamahome grabbed Tasuki by the hair and forced his head up making the fire user groan. Tamahome then kicked him in the gut. Aika watched in horror as Tasuki was kicked and punched by Tamahome.

"Tamahome! Stop it! Please! Stop hurting him! Stop hurting Tasuki!" She cried. Tamahome kicked Tasuki into the tree. Tasuki groaned on impact.

 _'Hm, so this is how it ends,'_ Nakago smirked. Tasuki groaned as blood dripped to the ground before he started chuckling.

"You're not too bright, are ya, buddy? You thought I was out. Not yet. It takes a lot more than that to keep me down," Tasuki smirked as he stood.

"Oh really? Then it's time to stop playing around," Tamahome smirked.

"Chichiri! Get Aika and Kurama out of here now!" Tasuki shouted as he picked up and tossed Kurama over. Aika caught Kurama and held him close. "I'll buy you as much time as I can!"

"We can't! We're not going to leave you, Tasuki!" Aika shouted. Chichiri was about to get them out of there until he was hit in the back.

"You're not going anywhere, get it?" Nakago said after using his magic.

"Nakago…" Yui murmured.

"It's him! He's around here someplace! The guy's a pain, ya know!" Chichiri said meaning Nakago. Chichiri then disappeared with Aika and Kurama in his arms

"Do you really think you can hide yourselves from me?" Nakago asked before he too disappeared.

"Nakago?" Yui asked. Suddenly Nakago appeared between Tamahome and Tasuki.

"So, you finally decided to show your face!" Tasuki smirked. "Well, I'm ready for you," he said before jumping up. "I've been waiting!" Suddenly Nakago's symbol glowed and Tasuki was knocked out.

"Moron, I turned your fire power off," Nakago stated before looking at Tamahome. "He was an annoying distraction, wasn't he?"

"Hn," Tamahome smirked in agreement. Chichiri covered Aika's mouth to keep her from making any noise.

"Tasuki…" Aika whimpered behind his hand.

"Just hold it in. We can't let Tasuki's sacrifice go to waste," Chichiri said to her quietly. Kurama groaned a bit. "And you keep quiet too, ya know," he added. He then gasped a bit as he got an idea. _'Kurama! He's not a servant of Suzaku and he can't perceive certain wave lengths that human beings can't, ya know! Which might mean…'_

"Your name's Chichiri, right?" Nakago's voice rang through the air. "You might as well give up. There's no way you can break out of this barrier." Chichiri looked at Kurama who gave a short nod.

"Go for it," he said.

"Let's hope this works, ya know," Chichiri said pressing two fingers to Kurama's forehead making the poor fox wince slightly because of his injury.

~0~

Chiriko was playing his flute until he suddenly heard Nuriko's blood curdling scream. He ran to the room with Mitsukake, bursting the door open.

"What's going on here?! That was the ugliest sound I've ever heard!" Chiriko exclaimed.

"That's the way I feel about your flute!" Nuriko snapped making Chiriko smiled nervously as he put his hands up in the air in surrender. By Nuriko was an orb with Kurama in it.

"Kurama, do you know that you're floating in the air?" Hotohori asked.

"No, I thought I was swimming in a field of pretty little flowers," Kurama replied sarcastically.

"Your Highness!" Chichiri called.

"He suddenly has two personalities," Nuriko muttered.

"I didn't know Kurama had that kind of problem," Mitsukake wondered not having time to really recognize the voice.

"No, that voice is Chichiri's," Hotohori stated.

"You people are nuts for thinking I have two personalities! Idiots!" Kurama hissed making Nuriko and Mitsukake give nervous smiles.

"I'm using Kurama's form to penetrate the seal, ya know! I want you to try and break the barrier from your end!" Chichiri stated.

~0~

Nakago turned.

"There," he said before shooting magic at a bush.

~0~

There was the sound of explosion and Aika screaming.

"Aika!" Hotohori exclaimed. He then looked at Chiriko and his flute. "Flute…"

~0~

Nakago kept shooting at the bushes and Chichiri held Aika and Kurama close to protect them from the blasts.

"Stop it, bully!" Tasuki growled as he struggled to get up. Nakago looked at him. "You were…fighting with me!" He said before the chains of the nun-chucks was around his neck.

"Exactly and you were fighting me, weren't you?" Tamahome smirked as he choked the young sorcerer.

~0~

"Y-you want me to break the seal?" Chiriko asked surprised.

"Exactly, use your flute as before to crack the Seiryuu barrier. You can do it. You can, Chiriko," Hotohori said, fully confident in him. Chiriko looked down a bit until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Mitsukake smiling encouragingly. Chiriko then looked at Hotohori.

"Yes, your Highness, I will try. Everyone, please concentrate forcefully along with the sounds of the flute," Chiriko told everyone.

~0~

Nakago blew up another area with his powers before seeing Chichiri, Aika, and Kurama. He walked up to them with a smirk.

"Now it ends," he said. The sound of Tasuki struggling and choking was sounded making Aika even more worried.

"I…I think this might be it!" Chichiri said. Aika glared at Nakago.

"Not without a going away present," she said before doing hand seals as she stood up. "Ninja Art: Graceful Fire Wing!" She shouted. Suddenly she was engulfed with fire that turned into a phoenix surprising everyone. Aika thrust her hands forward and the phoenix flew at Nakago. There was suddenly a red light coming from Kurama who was in the orb and Aika heard music. "The flute. Chiriko!" She exclaimed.

"Now's the time!" Chichiri shouted. The chains of the nun-chucks broke from around Tasuki's neck, freeing him. Suddenly Chichiri, Kurama, Tasuki, and Aika were engulf in a red light. Aika was holding Tasuki in her arms.

"Tasuki? Tasuki, say something. Please," Aika softly pleaded.

"You did a great job. It's all right now. We'll be home soon, ya know," Chichiri said to Tasuki.

"You did good, Kit," Kurama said to him.

"This always…happens when…when I…get mixed up….with girls…t-that's why I hate 'em….except you, Aika," Tasuki said before falling unconscious, his head on her shoulder and in her neck. Aika held him gently.

"You fought well, Tasuki. Idiot…don't ever worry me like that again," Aika said before softly kissing his forehead. She felt tears in her eyes. _'He did this…for me,'_ she thought before looking at Tamahome. _'Tamahome….I ran to him, reached out my hand to him, and he hurt Tasuki and Kurama. He attacked two of his allies. Face reality, Aika. He's a different person now. No matter who you scream that you love him, he doesn't want to hear it and it won't reach him. I will never reach Tamahome again. And so….and so…and so…'_ she thought as her tears spilled over. "…Goodbye, my love," she whispered as she kept her eyes on Tamahome. Kurama frowned at his friend before glaring at Tamahome.

 _'I'll get him for this. I'll make him pay for hurting her. No doubt the others will help,'_ he thought before they all disappeared. Yui walked up to Tamahome.

 _'Aika.'_

"Narrow escape. We nearly destroyed all of them," Nakago smirked. He looked at Tamahome and his eyes widened. Tamahome's eyes were dull and blank, but there was tears streaming down his face.

"Tamahome?" Yui asked concerned.

"Hm?" Tamahome asked. He realized he was crying. "What's this? Strange. I just suddenly started to cry," he said wiping the tears away.

 _'Is it possible? Could his feelings be stronger than the Kodoku?'_ Nakago thought.

~0~

"Her heart torn apart, the Priestess of Suzaku collapsed against Hotohori's chest," Sai read as Naruto's fist clenched.

"That son of a bitch…." He growled wishing he could kill Tamahome.

~0~

"Are you all right, Aika? What in the world happened over there? Where's Tamahome?" Hotohori asked as he looked at the young Priestess of worry.

"I said 'goodbye' to him," Aika whispered through her tears as she stared ahead, her head laying on his chest.

"What?" Hotohori whispered shocked.

"I told Tamahome 'goodbye'….forever…"

 **Kida: *Sulking in emo corner***

 **Chichiri: She looks quite depressed, ya know!**

 **Hotohori: Kida? Are you okay?**

 **Kida: I'll live...in a few thousand years...*Stays in emo corner, poking wall***

 **Mitsukake: This is pretty bad. *Picks up Kida and takes her out of the room***

 **Nuriko: Wow, that really got Kida...Anyways! We hope you enjoy the chapter. Please favorite and comment!**

 **Kida: Or not...*Tears up in her chibi puppy mode***


	23. To Protect You

**Kida: Am I the only one that wants to hurt Tamahome?!**

 **Naruto: No! I wanna help you! Believe it!**

 **Kida: Okay, fox boy! Let's go kick some ass!**

 **Hotohori: I get why you want to hurt him...but I sense another reason.**

 **Kida: Read and find out, my hot friend!**

 **Mitsukake: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. Please enjoy.**

Tamahome's personality had already been changed Nakago's dose of Kodoku, even as Lad Aika eagerly awaited their reunion. Tamahome had seemingly forgotten everything and engaged Tasuki in a fierce, nearly fatal battle.

"Goodbye…" Aika whispered as her tears stream down her face. Using Chichiri's magical powers, the Lady Aika was able to break through the barrier and return to Konan.

"Tamahome?" Yui asked concerned when she saw his tears. However, memories of the Lady Aika remained deep inside Tamahome's heart which Nakago's poison could not erase.

~0~

"Hotohori received Chichiri's report of all that had occurred. He was shocked to hear the Priestess had been injured by Tamahome," Sai read.

"Yeah, well, he's not alone," Naruto muttered.

~0~

"Chichiri, are you completely certain of what you just told me?" Hotohori asked, not wanting to really believe Tamahome would do such a thing. Chichiri frowned. "Tamahome's not ever coming back to Konan? Is that what you are telling me?" Everyone looked down or upset at that. "And it was Tamahome who caused the wound to Aika's arm. I just cannot believe it," Hotohori said looking down.

"Don't forget the wound in her heart, Kit," Kurama said looking down with his ears flat against his head.

"Sire," Mitsukake said standing, getting everyone's attention. "It's possible it could be an internal manipulation. Kurama, you said that there was a strange scent in Tamahome's blood," he said.

"Yeah, it was dark. It almost reminded me of the darkness someone else I knew had," Kurama replied thinking of how Sasuke was. "Why?"

"I think Tamahome may have swallowed a Kodoku as well as be under some spell. And if that's the case, I'm afraid I cannot heal him," Mitsukake stated.

"Kodoku? Then that is why Aika did that," Hotohori frowned deeply as he remembered her crying in his arms.

 _"I told Tamahome 'goodbye'….forever…" Aika whispered through her tears._ Hotohori sighed as he covered his eyes.

 _'How can this be?'_ He asked. Kurama sighed a bit and looked at Mitsukake.

"Come with me so you can heal Aika's arm," he murmured while Mitsukake nodded and followed him to Aika's room. "Hey, Kit, Mitsukake's here to heal your arm," Kurama said pushing the door open. Aika looked at them and nodded. Mitsukake knelt down next to her and began healing her arm. Chiriko had followed and was sitting at the little table in her room.

"There you go, Priestess," Mitsukake smiled at her. "You'll be fine now," he said before standing.

"Thank you, Mitsukake," Aika murmured as she rubbed her arm. "Please be sure to heal Tasuki as best as you can too, okay?" She smiled as Niko jumped up to Mitsukake's shoulder. Mitsukake looked at her and saw her smiling face. "What is it?"

"Never mind," Mitsukake replied as Chiriko looked between the two. "Just get some rest now," he said as he left, Niko meowing and waving goodbye. Chiriko smiled at Aika.

"Uh, um, tell me a melody you'd like to hear and I'll play it for you, okay?" He said holding up his flute.

"Uh…well…I-I'm not sure that's a good idea," Aika replied.

"Huh? Why's that?" Chiriko blinked.

"Where I'm from, we kind of have different styles of music. I don't really know anything from here and you don't really know anything from there, so…" she trailed off.

"Oh, I see. How about a type then? Folk music, lullabies…" Chiriko suggested. Aika smiled a bit at him.

"There was a melody you played before we met in that village. It was beautiful, soft and sweet…can you play that one maybe?" She asked.

"Sure, but why that one?" Chiriko asked curious.

"The way it sounded remind me of how my mother used to play," she replied. Chiriko smiled at that and nodded before he began playing the melody.

~0~

In Tasuki's room, Tasuki cried out in pain as Mitsukake wrapped his wounds. Tasuki's left arm and leg were wrapped with splints and he almost looked like a mummy.

"Can't you do that a little softer?! It feels like your tryin' to kill me!" Tasuki shouted at him.

"You have three broken ribs, a left arm and leg broken, multiple contusions and sprains all of over. If you can live through that then nothing I do will kill you," Mitsukake stated. He checked his bag then. "I'll heal you once my power's regenerated."

"That's no excuse for not treating me like a human being," Tasuki said to him. "Wait a sec, what about Aika? You used your power to cure her, didn't you?"

"I can only heal her exterior wounds, not the damage that's been done to her heart," Mitsukake replied. Kurama sighed as he heard him.

"Too bad you couldn't," he whispered before going to find the others.

~0~

Aika was lying in bed as she listened to Chiriko play the flute. She thought about what had just happened with Tamahome. It would be something she'd never forget. The doors opened and she saw Hotohori, Nuriko, and Chiriko. Nuriko was holding Kurama in his arms. Chiriko had stopped playing his flute.

 _'Hotohori,'_ Aika thought as Hotohori walked over, Chiriko standing up.

"Don't let us bother you, Chiriko," Hotohori said to the other Warrior. He made it to Aika and frowned with worry.

"Hotohori, I'm sorry. It's hopeless, now we can't summon Suzaku," Aika said with an apologetic smile.

"Never mind all that. The only thing that matters to me is that you recover," Hotohori said to her. Aika sat up.

"I'm okay. After all, Mitsukake healed my arm," Aika said. She wanted to ignore the other pain so she put on a fake smile.

"That's not what I meant," Hotohori frowned. Aika saw the others frowning sadly at her.

"W-wait, why does everyone look so serious, huh? I mean, come on now, I'm fine now, really. There's nothing no one can do about Tamahome so I've given up on him. I'm perfectly fine now!" Aika said before letting out a small giggle. Kurama let his ears flatten against his head, knowing she wasn't fine at all.

"You do not have to force yourself to be cheerful," Hotohori said making Aika frown and look down at her hands.

"What are you talking about, Hotohori? I'm not forcing myself," she said to him, obviously in denial.

"You cannot be perfectly fine, can you? For you, Tamahome has been-."

"I'm fine! I said I was fine so drop it!" Aika finally snapped. "Can't you just leave me alone? There's even times where I like to be by myself! As a matter of fact, I've grown accustomed to it!" Hotohori looked at her with hurt in his eyes making Aika frown and look at him with guilt. "I-I'm sorry…" Hotohori walked away. "Hotohori…"

"Ah, well, we better go too, Aika," Nuriko said before everyone else left. Aika looked down at her hands.

"Hotohori, I'm so sorry…" Aika whispered thickly.

~0~

Outside the room, Hotohori was looking at the wall, his fist on the wall.

"Uh, your Majesty?" Nuriko asked. He then jumped when Hotohori punched the wall.

"I'm so ashamed I can do nothing for her. She's been hurt badly and is in so much pain and I had no idea what to say to her. It grieved me to see Aika suffer, yet force herself to smile and still when I try to offer her some comfort, I did nothing to soothe her spirits. I only made it worse," he said ashamed in himself. Kurama sighed a bit.

"Hotohori, do not blame yourself. Right now, what she needs is space…and possibly a fuzzy cuddle buddy," Kurama added with a hit of a joke. He then frowned. "Aika's been through so much and I've seen it when I was nothing but a spirit in a young boy's body. She lost her mother, then her father, then her friend Sasuke left…all that pain she did her best to lock away is coming back to her because Tamahome left her. I know it's not his fault, but he still caused her this pain. All I can say now is that we need to give her some space. I'll go be her stuff animal for the time being," he said jumping out of Nuriko's arms and going back into Aika's room. He walked over to her and jumped onto the bed. "Hey, Kit. Need a fuzzy animal to hug?" He asked. Aika looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Kurama…."

"Come on. Can you resist a fox with nine tails? And here I thought you said nine tails were better than one…I'm sure Shukaku got pretty pissed at that," Kurama said making Aika smile slightly. She nodded to him and opened her arms. Kurama crawled into her lap and she hugged him. "I'm always here for you, Kit. I may have been a jerk when you met me, but I've learned to open up over the past couple of years," he said to her. Aika laid down as she held Kurama to her.

"Thank you, Kurama," Aika whispered.

~0~

"Ow," Tamahome said before hissing as Yui attended to his wounds.

"Are you all right, Tamahome?" Yui asked concerned.

"Yeah, the scratches aren't that bad, really," Tamahome assured. He then punched his fist into his other hand. "Just a few more minutes and I would have killed that guy Tasuki," he gritted his teeth.

"But even if you had killed Tasuki, Chichiri, and Kurama, you wouldn't have killed Aika, would you?" Yui asked him.

"What are you talking about, Yui?" Tamahome asked her.

"It's true. Or then what was all your crying about, huh? It was because Aika was leaving you, wasn't it?" She asked him. Tamahome grabbed her. "Tamahome!" She was suddenly pinned underneath him.

"Remember what I told you? I belong to you," he said as she blushed. He then leaned down and kissed her.

 _'It's true that Tamahome belongs to me now,'_ she thought as she turned her head while he began kissing her neck. _'But this Tamahome is…'_ Tamahome pulled back.

 _"Goodbye,"_ Aika's voice rang in Tamahome's head. He then saw her heartbroken brown eyes in his head. _"Goodbye, Tamahome. Goodbye, my love."_ Tamahome got off Yui and sat on the bed. Yui sat up to look at him and Tamahome stood up.

"I'm sorry, Yui," Tamahome said to her before walking away. Tamahome made it outside the room and looked at the hair clip that belonged to Aika. He remembered how it kept the bangs out of her right eye. He clutched it in his hand, gritting his teeth. _'Why? Why did I suddenly see that girl's face? I'll have to kill her right away in order to rid my system of her. I better find her.'_

~0~

Aika had changed out of her pajamas was now dressed in a pale red sweater and black shorts. Her raven hair was tied up in a ponytail, her bangs over her right eye. Kurama was asleep on her bed.

 _'Hotohori, he must be so mad now after the terrible way I spoke to him,'_ she thought sadly. She got up and left the room. She was walking around the palace, listening to the rain and wind. _'What am I going to do now? Tamahome and Yui aren't coming back. I won't be able to summon Suzaku. Now I won't ever be able to go back to my own world,'_ she thought. Aika then stopped when she heard a door squeaking. She looked over at the room. _'This is where Tamahome stayed,'_ she thought. She walked in and over to his bed. She then picked up the old dark blue tunic he wore when they met. _'Tamahome's clothes.'_ She inhaled the scent as she held it close. _'They still smell like him,'_ she thought as she saw his once warm face. There were now tears running down her cheeks. "A lie…it's a lie…" she threw his shirt down. "I'm not fine at all! From the moment I first looked at him, he was always there for me! I was able to survive in this world because Tamahome was beside me, but not anymore," she softly sobbed before kneeling down, her head in her arms that rested on the bed. "Just how much more heart break do I have to endure?!" She shouted to no one.

~0~

Nuriko was walking, carrying a thing of tea and food on a tray. HE looked out at the rain.

"This rain won't let up any time soon. It looks like a real storm out there," he mused before going to Aika's room. "Aika, I brought you some food. I had them prepare some of your favorite dishes for you," he smiled as he walked in. His smile vanished when he saw Aika wasn't in her room. "Aika…" he let the tray drop and hit the ground which made Kurama wake up. He rubbed his eyes and saw Aika was gone making him look around.

"Aika? Aika, where are ya, Kit?" He asked before seeing her night clothes on the bed. He looked at Nuriko who looked just as horror stricken ask he did.

~0~

"So you think that Aika has disappeared?" Hotohori asked urgently. "Are you sure?"

"We can't find her anywhere, Sire. And she left this note," Nuriko said sadly as he handed him the note. Kurama was pacing, letting out reckless growls. The only thing that the note said was 'goodbye'.

"Could she be-?" Hotohori stood up and walked out of the room quickly. He began running. "Please Aika, don't hurt yourself!"

~0~

Aika walked through the rain, her arms crossed as her hands rubbed her arms, subconsciously trying to keep herself warm.

 _"Just promise me you won't go near that book again, okay?" Kakashi asked her._

 _'Kakashi, this is what I get for not listening to you. I wanted to see Naruto at least one more time, but now I can't go home. I've got nowhere to go,'_ Aika thought.

 _"Time to die," Tamahome smirked before going to attacking._

"I don't have anyone anymore," Aika said with tears. She suddenly saw she was by a pond that had rough moving currents. _'I-I just can't stand this pain anymore. Mama…'_ she thought thinking of her beautiful mother. _'Papa…'_ she thought of her warm hearted father. _'Naruto…'_ the blonde knuckle head she thought of as a brother. _'Yui…'_ the girl she thought of as a sister. _'And…'_ "Tamahome," she whispered thinking of the man she loved. "They've either died or abandoned me or I won't be able to see them again…it hurts so much," Aika choked out. She walked into the water and kept walking until she was underneath.

"Aika!" She heard someone yell.

 _'Hotohori…I-I'm so sorry,'_ Aika thought before she sunk further into the water. One the land, Hotohori was looking for the Priestess.

"Can you hear me, Aika?! Aika, where are you?! Aika!" He shouted as he made it to the wild pond. He suddenly saw a shoe slip out. A black slipper with a small buckle on it. His eyes widened. "Aika!" He gasped. He dove into the water and began searching for her. He suddenly found her trapped in seaweed and went to get her out.

~0~

Nuriko bent down and picked up the Emperor's crown.

"I know this belongs to his Majesty," he said.

"Come on, Kit. Where are you?" Kurama asked with worry from Mitsukake's arms.

~0~

Hotohori got her out of the seaweed and hoped she would wake up. Her head went slack making his eyes widen.

 _'Aika! Don't give up! You must not die!'_ He thought as he held the woman he loved close. _'Suzaku, give me strength!'_ He prayed until his symbol started glowing. _'I care not what happens to me! But Aika must not die!'_ He said before his symbol shined brightly in the water. "AIKA!" He screamed before there was an explosion in the water. The other saw the glowing light from the water.

"What is that?!" Chiriko asked surprised. They watched in awe as a glowing orb came out of the water. In the orb was Hotohori carrying Aika.

"Aika! His Highness!" Nuriko said shocked. The orb landed by them as the water calmed down. Nuriko ran over and knelt down by them. "Aika," he said with worry. Kurama ran over as well.

"Come on, Kit. Speak to me!" He pleaded. Chichiri ran over and began checking her over. He smiled.

"She'll be all right. She's still alive and breathing," he assured. Hotohori smiled in relief and held Aika close to him.

"Thank goodness."

~0~

Aika soon woke up to find herself in bed. She was surprised to see herself there.

"Aika," a man said. Aika looked over to see Hotohori.

"Hotohori…"

"Everything is all right now, Aika. You have made it through safely," Hotohori softly smiled.

"What happened?" Aika asked, a bit out of it yet. "Where am I?" She asked. She suddenly remembered she had been drowning in the water and sat up quickly. "I'm still alive after all that?! How can it be?!" She asked Hotohori. The Emperor was blushed because…well…Aika was nude. Aika suddenly realized and turned dark red as she covered her chest with the blanket. Hotohori smiled.

"I am relieved to see you so energetic again," he said to her.

 _'I can barely remember hearing a voice calling for me just before I passed out. Was it him?'_ Aika though to herself.

 _"Aika!" The familiar voice shouted._

 _'He looks pale. Did he save me? After all the mean things I said to him?'_ Aika thought as tears being to flood her eyes, a light blush on her cheeks. She threw herself into his chest. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry for being such an idiot," she softly sobbed. Hotohori wrapped his arms around her.

"It's all right, Aika. Please don't cry now," he said soothingly to her. He pulled back and cupped her cheeks. "I will spend my entire life protecting you, I'll stay with you always. I want you here with me, sharing all my days."

 _'Hotohori…'_ Aika thought with a light blush.

"I have long had to control my feelings for you, but I will not any longer. Now there is nothing left to stand in the way of them," Hotohori smiled gently as he pulled her into his arms. "Let me try to help you forget Tamahome because I love you dearly, Aika." Aika pulled away to look at him.

"Hotohori, I have to-." Hotohori then kissed her making her eyes widen. _'Hotohori,'_ her eyes softened and Hotohori took her hand into his that rested on his chest. Aika closed her eyes as she melted into the kiss. _'I…I have to….'_

~0~

While it was raining outside, Tamahome had made his way to Konan. He soon made it to a small cliff that over looked the kingdom.

"So this is the capitol of Konan, huh? This time I'll make sure I kill her. Prepare to die, Priestess of Suzaku," he smirked.

~0~

Hotohori pulled away from the kiss to see Aika's warm brown eyes and the blush on her cheeks.

 _'Hotohori…'_

"Did you know I have always been in love with you? And I want…I want you to love me," Hotohori said with a soft smile.

"Hotohori," Aika said with surprised. Hotohori bent his head down and began kissing her neck. "Hotohori…" she suddenly thought of her and Tamahome making her eyes widen a bit. They softened and she gently pushed him away. "I'm sorry. I'm not ready yet," she said to him.

"Of course, I can understand that," Hotohori assured as he then sat in his chair next to the bed. "You should think it over carefully. I shall stay here with you," he said as he began stroking her hair. "So just relax and get some sleep," he added as he gently took her hand into his. Aika smiled softly at him.

 _'His warm hands, his gentle voice, Hotohori really does care for me. I've always known it, but I never acknowledged it or responded to him before. I should just…return his feelings. It's the best thing to do. Then I'll be able to forget…I'll be able to forget him,'_ Aika thought of Tamahome and did her best to keep the tears away as she closed her eyes.

~0~

Nuriko was in his room, watching the rain in his window.

"Oh your Majesty, you really are a noble hero," he said. "That's not it…it would be better…" he imagined himself in Aika's place before suddenly acting like a fan girl while the others sweat-dropped at the crossdresser. "Maybe I should try drowning myself." Tasuki laughed.

"You would still be under water!" He said to him.

"But if Tamahome never comes back here, we can't summon Suzaku, right?" Chiriko asked worried. Nuriko had punched Tasuki into a wall making Kurama laugh. "What'll we do?"

~0~

A Konan soldier walked up to the other.

"Okay, your shift's over," he said. The other soldier nodded and began walking away. He was suddenly grabbed making him groan. "Huh? Who's there?!" He asked before he was suddenly knocked out by Tamahome. Tamahome smirked and began walking.

~0~

"And you allowed Tamahome to go to Konan?!" Yui glared at Nakago. "Why?!"

"He wanted to the assignment. He volunteered for it," Nakago replied.

 _"I'm going to kill the Priestess of Suzaku," Tamahome said with determination._

"I'm hoping he'll kill all the rest of the Suzaku Seven, especially their Emperor Cai Pi, better known as Hotohori. It occurred to me since he's one of Suzaku's followers, any barriers they have won't affect him," Nakago stated.

"You're lying! You know you plan to use him for this from the very beginning!" Yui glared at him.

"Your words wound me," Nakago smiled a bit before placing his hands on her shoulders. "It was what you wished for, remember? I brought him here for your sake. Everything I've done has been to make you happy," he said to her. Yui was surprised before glaring and slapping him.

"Do you really think that this sort of business makes me happy?!" She asked before running away. Nakago held his throbbing cheek before smirking.

~0~

Aika had fallen asleep after talking with Hotohori. She slowly woke up and her eyes widened when she saw Hotohori sleeping, his head on her pillow. She then remembered why he was in here and smiled a bit.

 _'Now I remember. Hotohori stayed with me,'_ she thought before seeing he was still holding her hand making her smile a little more. _'I'm surprised he kept right on holding my hand. He really does look sweet when he's asleep.'_ She smiled softly when Hotohori opened his eyes with a soft smile of his own. _'Maybe I could fall in love with someone like him.'_ She placed her other hand on his, gently rubbing the back with her thumb. "Hotohori, I've thought about what you've said….and I think I might be ready to-."

"Highness!" A councilor called from outside Aika's room. "The guard reports that a traitor has slipped inside the imperial palace!" He reported from outside with the two guardsmen.

"A traitor?" Hotohori asked urgent.

"Your Majesty, according to my men, it's a Warrior of the Suzaku Seven. They say it's Master Tamahome, Sire," the councilor said. Aika's eyes widened as she put on her robe.

 _'Tamahome!'_ She thought. She gasped a bit. "He's here to try and kill me," she said remembering how Tamahome had been trying to kill her before. Hotohori stood up, his hand holding Aika's wrist surprising her. "Hotohori?!" She was suddenly pushed into a room and saw Hotohori close the door. "Hotohori!" She called as Hotohori locked the door. "What are you doing?!"

"Aika, stay in there until I have dealt with this. Am I clear? Do not open this door for anyone," Hotohori said firmly. "I will protect you with my life. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

 _'Hotohori, please don't do what I think you're going to do!'_ Aika thought panicked. "Hotohori! Wait!" She banged on the door. Hotohori just walked away.

 _'Aika, I cannot forgive anyone who hurt you. No matter who it is. Even one whom Heaven has fated to be my friend,'_ Hotohori thought.

~0~

"Wait a minute, Chiriko!" Nuriko said trying to stop the younger male. "Is it really Tamahome?"

"Are you sure about that?!" Tasuki asked as they all ran down some steps.

"Quite sure! I overheard the guards talking and they-!" Chiriko gasped when he saw Tamahome.

"Where is the Priestess of Suzaku?" Tamahome asked with a cold tone.

"T-Tamahome," Nuriko said surprised to see him acting like this.

"How dare you?! You've got some nerve!" Tasuki growled.

"He really does…stay behind me!" Kurama ordered the Warriors. He grew a couple sizes so he was the same height as Tamahome. He looked more vicious and was growling as his nine tails flared and swished with anger. "If you want to get to Aika then you have to go through me."

~0~

"Tamahome arrived in Konan to kill the Priestess of Suzaku. He now prepared to confront the Suzaku Warriors and Kurama who stood before them as her protectors," Naruto read.

~0~

"This doesn't concern you. Where is the Priestess of Suzaku?" Tamahome snarled.

"As far as you're concerned, pal, she is my concern!" Kurama growled before going to attack.

"Tamahome!" Hotohori shouted making Kurama stop to see Hotohori walking over.

"What are you doing, Sire?" Nuriko asked worried when he saw the other sword in hand. Hotohori stood across from Tamahome. He glared at his old friend and there was a red light outlining him.

"The Priestess of Suzaku is safe. I will never you lay one finger on Aika again! The time for words is now over. Defend yourself, Tamahome!" Hotohori said ready to fight him. Kurama stayed in front of the other Warriors as he looked between the two.

 _'Hotohori, if you have to, if you have no choice…then kill him.'_

 **Kida: Oh boy...a brawl between Tamahome and Hotohori...I need popcorn!**

 **Kido: *Shares popcorn* Way ahead of ya, sis.**

 **Hotohori: *Sweat-drops* You want to see us fight?**

 **Kida: Well...yeah. After all, it's almost like you're fighting for Aika's love. But Tamahome is evil right now and wants to kill her while you're protecting her. Plus...I think Tamahome needs a good beating.**

 **Hotohori: I see...**

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please favorite and comment!**


	24. I'll Never Leave You

**Kida: I have bad news and I have good news. What do you wanna hear first?**

 **Naruto: Give us the bad news first.**

 **Kida: Okay, bad news is there's only three more chapters left after this.**

 **Guys: WHAT?!**

 **Kida: *Grins* Good news is there will be a sequel!**

 **Tasuki: Oh good...you almost scared me there for a minute.**

 **Kida: Hehe...I, Kida Tenshi, do not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. I only own Aika Hitsubasa and future OCs. Please enjoy, loves!**

"Tamahome…" Aika asked surprised at Tamahome.

"Whoever gave you permission to speak to me like that, obnoxious brat?!" Tamahome spat before going to attack her.

"I refuse to believe it!" Aika shouted. Nakago's spell changed Tamahome's personality and obscured his memories. He hates Aika now and even tried to kill her. Devastated by Tamahome's change of heart, Aika began to despair and nearly lost her will to live.

"Where is the Priestess of Suzaku?" Tamahome glared at the Warriors. Hotohori confronted Tamahome who had returned to Konan to assassinate Lady Aika.

"I will never let you lay one finger on Aika again!" Hotohori glared at Tamahome. It was still pouring rain outside and Kurama looked between the two. Kurama went back to his smaller form.

"Kurama, go look for Aika and stay with her," Tasuki whispered. Kurama glanced at him and nodded before discretely taking off away from the scene to find his friend. Hotohori's body was glowing red as he was ready to fight against the other Suzaku Warrior. Lightning cracked in the sky above Tamahome as Hotohori glared.

"Hn," Tamahome smirked at the Emperor who tossed a sword over to him.

"You take up the weapon there! I will not do battle with an unarmed opponent!" Hotohori called as he drew his own sword. Tamahome just smirked at him, a chance to take down all the Suzaku Warriors and the Priestess of Suzaku herself.

 _"The Priestess of Suzaku is not your only target. Make sure Hotohori, Emperor Cai Pi of Konan, is assassinated as well," Nakago had ordered._

"And here he is," Tamahome smirked as he picked up the sword and unsheathed it. He then threw the sheath away from them. Hotohori got into his position to fight while Tamahome removed his black cloak and got ready to fight as well.

~0~

In the palace, the guards ran by the door Aika was behind, locked in.

"Tamahome's drawn a sword against the Emperor!" A guard shouted as they ran. Aika banged on the door, hoping someone would let her out.

"Hey! Open the door! Somebody open this door! Somebody!" She shouted before resting her forehead against it in frustration. _'I have to stop them. Hotohori might kill Tamahome to protect me!'_ Her eyes widened at the thought. "Please! Isn't anybody out there?!" She shouted as she banged the door once more.

"Aika! Look out below!" Kurama called making Aika look up. Suddenly Kurama was on her face making her spaz out and flail her arms wildly. She then grabbed Kurama off her face and held him. "Eh, hiya! How ya doin'?" Kurama asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Kurama, how did you get in here?" Aika asked surprised.

"The window," Kurama looked at the said window over the door. Aika grinned and hugged the fox.

"Kurama, you my friend, are a life saver!" She said to him

"Aw shucks. I try!" Kurama grinned making Aika giggle a bit. She placed him on her shoulder before looking up at the window.

"Okay, this should be easy. Time to put that training to use!" Aika said getting ready to climb.

~0~

Tamahome ran and attacked Hotohori first and Hotohori blocked the attack, making sound of sword hitting sword sound through the air. The dancing of their blades continued, clashing together as each tried to land a hit on each other. Hotohori went passed him as they attacked. Landing behind Tamahome, he had managed to slice Tamahome's right sleeve revealing the wound. Hotohori glared at him as his symbol glowed and Tamahome glared back. Hotohori jumped up with a battled cry and swung his sword down while Tamahome blocked the hit with his own sword. Tamahome gritted his teeth as their eyes connected.

"Tamahome, have you really forgotten your place here in Konan and just how Aika has meant to you?!" Hotohori shouted through the noise of the pouring rain.

"Talk sense!" Tamahome snapped as he pushed back making Hotohori jumped away to avoid Tamahome swing of the blade.

"Those two look like they really wanna kill each other!" Chiriko exclaimed. "Shouldn't we try and stop them?"

"Impossible," Nuriko said making Chiriko look at him in question. "Can't you see it? Can't you see the intensity of his Majesty's life force? A man who normally so gentle…it's destiny and nothing will stop them. Not until one of them is utterly defeated by the other," he stated, not liking this any more than Chiriko.

"You'll never beat me, Tamahome!" Hotohori growled as they swiped their swords at each other and blocked hits. "Man to man, I will not be defeated! Especially by you!"

~0~

Aika ran towards the wall and jumped off it, aiming for the window which she reached. She used the muscles in her arms to pull herself up. She made it to the small window and did her best to get out of it only to end up falling and landing on her face. Kurama landed on the ground beside her. Aika groaned as she sat up and rubbed her nose.

"Ouch, that hurt," she muttered. She looked at Kurama. "Kurama, take me to Tamahome and Hotohori, quickly!"

"Right, this way, Kit!" Kurama replied before showing her the way to the battle. "Please tell me you have a plan."

"Yeah, a last resort," Aika replied as they ran. _'I have to stop them. If I don't….If I don't, one of them will die!'_

~0~

Hotohori swiped his sword and got Tamahome's chest. Tamahome groaned and collapsed to his knees.

"Boy, the Emperor's kicking some serious butt! He's got Tamahome right where he wants him! Grabbing for cover!" Tasuki smirked.

"The Emperor's life force is a lot stronger than Tamahome's now, ya know. It's his single minded desire to protect Aika that has made him that much more powerful," Chichiri stated.

"If you insist on trying to kill Aika, Tamahome, I'll have to kill you first before you get the chance to!" Hotohori yelled as he raised his sword while Tamahome gritted his teeth.

~0~

Aika ran and made it to a corner. She then gasped as she saw them. She saw Tamahome run over to Hotohori and jumped up, his sword over his head to strike.

"Die!" Tamahome shouted. Aika's eyes widened and she ran over to them.

"NO!" She screamed surprising Tamahome. Hotohori used that chance and stabbed Tamahome through the side. Aika stood there, frozen. Kurama ran over and was shocked to see it as well. Tamahome was wide eyed as he fell back to the ground. "TAMAHOME!"

~0~

"The Priestess of Suzaku's scream echoed through the Konan Palace," Naruto frowned deeply, knowing his best friend was hurting. He sighed before going back to reading. "Strucken down by Hotohori, Tamahome fell in the court of Konan where he had once sworn his love to the Priestess of Suzaku."

~0~

"Tamahome…" Aika whispered, her voice thick with tears that didn't come to her eyes. Hotohori lowered his sword as Aika ran over to the fallen Suzaku Warrior. "Tamahome!" She gently gathered him into her arms. "Tamahome, please, you have to wake up. Please, don't die…I-I couldn't stand it if you left me again. Please, not again," she softly sobbed. Hotohori realized what he just did and dropped his sword to the ground, shaking. Everyone else was just as horror stricken as the Emperor. "Please, you can't die. You just can't. You're stronger than this. Please!" She sobbed as she brought her hand to his wound and tried to heal it. It was a vital wound. "Dammit! Come on!" She shouted at her hand. It glowed green, but it wasn't healing. Tamahome slowly opened his eyes.

"Priestess of…Su…zaku…" Tamahome choked out making Aika look at him.

"Tamahome, just hang on, okay? I-I'll have you healed up soon," Aika said with a slight smile. She then saw him trying to reach for his sword.

"Kill you….I must…I must kill you," he said as he tried to reach for the sword. Aika's eyes narrowed before she made him look at her.

"You really are an idiot, Tamahome. The Tamahome I knew was strong and could fight for what he really wanted," she said before grabbing the sword and putting it in his hand, surprising everyone. "If you really want to kill me then go for it. If me dying is what helps you snap out of this then I'll gladly die. If it doesn't…" Aika let out a bitter chuckle. "Then everything I'm saying now is just a waste of my own breath. But before you do anything, let me say this," she frowned sadly as she cupped his cheek gently. "I love you, Tamahome. I have always loved you and even in the afterlife, I'll love you," she said before kissing him. Tamahome's eyes widened before he squeezed them shut.

 _"Kill her…kill her…kill her…"_ Nakago's voice started fading from his head. Tamahome opened his eyes to see the tears threatening to spill from Aika's closed eyes. _"You must kill the Priestess of Suzaku."_ Tamahome's eyes clenched shut again.

 _"I love you," Aika said to him._

 _'Her voice…her hair…her lips…'_ Tamahome thought before seeing Aika with a happy and warm smile.

 _"It's a promise, Tamahome….We'll be together next time for real….Be there waiting for me when the moon has risen to it's highest…"_ Aika's voice and images ran through his head. He brought the sword up so the tip of the blade was at her back.

"Aika, look out!" Nuriko shouted.

"Aika! Get away from him!" Kurama shouted. He and Nuriko went to go after her until Hotohori stopped them, his arm blocking them.

"No! Wait! Look at what's happening!" Hotohori told them. Tamahome's hand slackened and the sword fell out of his hand, the sound of the metal hitting the ground was sounded. Aika pulled back and saw the symbol of the Ogre glowing on Tamahome's forehead. Tamahome smiled softly at her.

"Aika…"

 _'The Ogre symbol…i-it's back,'_ Aika thought with tears. Tamahome reached a hand up and cupped her cheek, wiping her tears away.

"Why…are you crying? I'm sorry…I promised to meet you when the moon had risen, but I was late. I know it and I never made it," Tamahome said to her. Aika's eyes widened a bit before she closed them, letting her tears finally slip as she smiled warmly. She brought her hand up and held his there. Her other hand gently held his wrist as she leaned into his hand.

"No, it's all right. The moon has just now risen, see?" She asked while the others stood there stunned. _'You're finally here, Tamahome,'_ she thought. She then wrapped her arms around his neck. "Tamahome!"

"Aika!" Tamahome hugged her close to him. Kurama sighed a bit with a small smile.

"Finally, that's over with," he mused.

"Tamahome," Aika whispered into his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Tamahome held her close, one of his hands on the back of her head to keep her there.

"Aika," he said before grunting in pain making Aika pull back.

"Mitsukake," Hotohori smiled.

"Highness," Mitsukake smiled as well with the others. He walked over and knelt down next to the two. He brought his hand by Tamahome's wound and it glowed green.

"Mitsukake?" Aika asked hoping Tamahome would be okay.

"It'll be all right, I can heal him," Mitsukake replied. Tamahome groaned a bit as his wound healed. His blue earring then fell out and fell to the ground.

"Hotohori, your Highness," Tamahome frowned guiltily.

"Tamahome, I am glad to see you back with us," Hotohori smiled.

"Tamahome!" Nuriko smiled.

"Tamahome!" Chichiri smiled before the two ran over to them with Chiriko and Tasuki.

"Heya, Kit!" Kurama grinned as he made it over. He jumped and landed on Tamahome's head making the blue haired boy chuckle. "Every scare me like that again and I'll hurt you so bad your grandkids will feel it! Ya hear me, Ogre boy?!" Kurama growled.

"Got it," Tamahome chuckled. Aika giggled and took Kurama off Tamahome's head.

"Now you, missy…" Kurama said to Aika. He slapped her upside the head with one of his tails. "NEXT TIME YOU WANNA DIE JUST ASK ME! I'LL DO IT MYSELF, YA RECKLESS IDIOT!" He growled. Aika just laughed and kissed his nose.

"I'm sorry, Kurama. Forgive me?" She asked. Kurama blushed and looked away stubbornly.

"…Just this one time," he muttered before the others laughed, the sun finally shining through as the rain stopped. They got Tamahome to his room before they all went to change into something dry. Aika went to Tamahome's room.

"You know…how would you feel about a little revenge on Nakago?" She asked with a devious smirk. Tamahome stared at her for a moment before smirking as well.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked her.

~0~

In Kutou, the rain had stopped, but it was still lightning and thundering out.

"What? Tamahome is back from Konan?" Yui asked surprised as she looked at the courtier who was kneeling across from her.

"Yes, ma'am. He said to tell that he would visit your chambers soon," he replied.

"He's all right, thank goodness," Yui said relief as Nakago stood beside her. "I didn't think he was ever coming back here," she smiled.

~0~

Tamahome walked through the halls, wearing his cloak. He then saw Nakago and stopped.

"That was quick. Very quick," Nakago mused as he walked over to the younger man. "Of course you got rid of the Priestess of Suzaku, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir," Tamahome replied as he walked passed him. Nakago saw his earring was missing and his eyes widened.

"Tamahome," he called. He then turned and used his whip. Tamahome saw it coming and flipped before grabbing the end of the whip. "You have returned to your normal state!" Tamahome's Ogre symbol glowed on his forehead. Yui then ran up and her eyes widened when she saw Tamahome.

"Yes, I certainly have," Tamahome glared while Yui looked away. "You seem used to playing with people as if they were toys, Nakago. It would appear this device right here was allowing you to manipulate and control me," he held up the blue earring. "You can have it back!" He snapped as he threw it at Nakago. Nakago caught it.

"But how? How did you manage to break the spell? There's no method known in the world for curing Kodoku poisoning once it's entered a person's body and infected them," Nakago said to him.

"You'll spend your whole life trying to figure that out," Tamahome snapped.

"We weren't exactly wild about seeing you again, but we had to get Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods back," Aika's voice rang from beside Yui. Yui's eyes widened with Nakago's as they turned to see Aura dressed in her mother's outfit, holding the red scroll and glaring at the two. "You'll be just amazed at the things Genjutsu can do," she said as she walked over to Tamahome. Nakago glared as he glowed blue.

"How dare you?" He growled.

"No, Nakago! Don't hurt him!" Yui called before running up and hugging Nakago's arm.

"That whip of yours has no power of me today. Chichiri is…he's transmitting a protective barrier around us from back in Konan," Tamahome stated as he took Aika's hand and brought her behind him to keep her safe. "Mark my words, Nakago," Tamahome glared as he glowed red. "I know that I'm no match for you now as I am today, but I'm going to work to make myself stronger and then I swear I'll kill you with my own bear hands!" Tamahome promised. Aika gave his hand a gentle squeeze and they turned to leave.

"Tamahome!" Yui called as she stepped up. The Warrior and Priestess of Suzaku stopped.

"Yui, I can sympathize with what happened to you, but I can't forgive what you did. I only hope the wounds in your heart heal quickly," Tamahome said as he kept his back to her.

"And Nakago, if you ever hurt those I care about like this again, then I won't hesitate to kill you. I have a stronger jutsu and I don't care if it kills me in the process," Aika said glaring over her shoulder. The two then left, leaving a stunned Warrior and Priestess of Seiryuu behind.

"Lady Yui, are we just going to let them walk away?" Nakago asked.

"Yes, let them go," Yui said as she softly cried. _'There's nothing we can do to stop Tamahome now. I drove him away. I drove away the one I love. Tamahome…'_

~0~

Back in Konan, the skies were clearing to reveal the starry sky. In the dining hall, Chichiri grinned as he opened a container. He suddenly looked around

"Where is Aika?"

"Don't ask dumb questions. What do you think? She's with Tamahome of course," Nuriko smiled.

"I'm really glad he brought back the scroll the Universe of the Four Gods," Chiriko smiled.

"I don't get it. I mean, how was he able to break free of something as powerful as Kodoku?" Tasuki asked.

"This is what I think: When he was defeated, his life force was weakened. The Kodoku's influence over him weakened as well, ya know!" Chichiri said to him.

"Oh yeah. And then Aika's profound feelings for him where finally enough to break the spell, right?" Tasuki asked.

"Your Highness," Mitsukake said.

"And Tamahome's love for Aika helped," Hotohori said from the patio. Nuriko and Chichiri started beating up Tasuki, scolding him.

"You're an idiot! Can't you keep your mouth shut?!" The shouted.

"Your Highness?" Chiriko asked getting the Emperor's attention. "Shall I play something for you, Sire?"

"Yes, please. That would be nice," Hotohori replied. Chiriko began playing as Kurama walked over to Hotohori.

"I know it sucks, Kit, but things will get better. Maybe you and Aika aren't meant to be," he said jumping up next to him.

"How do you know?" Hotohori asked.

"I don't. I only know from experience. Aika's friend Naruto was in love with a girl named Sakura. A girl named Hinata loved Naruto while Sakura loved Sasuke. Sometimes you don't get the love you want, but in the end, you end up finding someone better. Naruto is married to Hinata and Sakura is married to Sasuke. If you truly love Aika, then you either keep fighting for her or you let her go. The latter would be best because Aika and Tamahome love each other. If Aika's not meant to be with you, then there's a girl out there that you are meant to be with. Sometimes, it just takes time," Kurama said to him. Hotohori thought about what Kurama said…it made sense.

~0~

Aika was dressed in the outfit she wore when she talked with Tamahome through the screen. She wanted to look nice for Tamahome seeing as this is his real first night back home. She heard the flute and smiled.

"That's Chiriko's flute. It's sounds beautiful, doesn't it?" She asked looking at Tamahome. She then frowned when she saw Tamahome crouching down, hugging his knees like he was in a fatal position. She got down from the railing she was sitting on and walked over. "Tamahome? Hey," she said softly as she knelt beside him. "Tamahome…what happened wasn't your fault. Nakago did that to you. You weren't in control. Actually, it wasn't even you. Please, Tamahome, there was nothing you could do," she said softly to him.

"I know there was nothing I could do about being under his control, but I shouldn't have hurt you, no matter what," Tamahome said to her. He sighed a bit. "The worst part is that I don't remember any of it, what I've done. Kurama had to tell me all that happened," he said to her as he remembered Kurama talking to him. _"Kurama…what all did I do while I was under that curse?"_

 _"You don't remember?" Kurama blinked. Tamahome shook his head and the fox sighed. "You're not gonna like it, Kit. First, you broke Aika's arm with a pair of nun-chucks. Her arms bleed horribly too," he started as Tamahome's eyes widened. "Then you went to find the Suzaku Warriors only to meet at the tree you had promised to meet Aika at. She was there and tried to snap you out of it by showing the letter you wrote her. You ripped the letter up which broke Aika's heart. She told me it was like her heart was being ripped up as well. Then you fought Tasuki and nearly killed him until Aika and Chichiri managed to stop you and Nakago. After a little bit, you came here, fought Hotohori, and you know how that ended." Tamahome was sitting there stunned. "Hey, Aika and the others don't blame you. Don't punish yourself for something you had no control over."_

"How can I make this up to you?" Tamahome asked Aika with pleading eyes. "I'm ashamed to even be around you now," he said to her. Aika frowned deeply before sighing.

"Before all of this, I would said 'hell yeah, you should be'. But that's because you ended up leaving after you promised you wouldn't. I was so angry with you and I worried constantly before you safety there. Before I knew you were under the curse, I thought you had really changed and hated me. When I came back to Konan after leaving Kutou, I almost became unfaithful," she admitted making Tamahome stand.

"What?!" He asked shocked as Aika stood.

"But I didn't…I couldn't," Aika said with a slight blushed. She rested her head on his chest. "Just please, don't think you have to make it up to me. Just having you back here with me is enough. But this time stay with me, don't leave like that again. Just keep holding me like you're doing now," Aika murmured with her eyes closed, Tamahome's arms wrapped around her tightly.

"I promise with all my heart, I will never leave you alone again," he vowed. Aika smiled against his chest as she hugged him. They pulled back, earthly brown meeting lavender. Aika wrapped her arms around his neck before they leaned in and kissed. _'No matter what happens, I will hold you in my arms forever.'_

~0~

Yui was in her room, sobbing her heart out from the fact that Tamahome wasn't here anymore. She didn't even hear Nakago walked into her room.

"Lady Yui, please forgive me," he said to her as he sat on her bed. "Instead of offering happiness, I've caused you more pain than you've already felt," he said gently placing his hand on her head.

"Tamahome must despise me now after all that I've done to him," Yui said shakily. Nakago wrapped his arm around her as if to comfort her. "Aika will be able to summon Suzaku with him." Nakago smirked.

"Lady Yui, do you really believe things are that simple?" He asked. Yui gasped with wide eyes before she sat up and looked at him.

"What in the world do you mean by that, Nakago?! What are you planning to do to them now?!"

"Didn't I tell you it would all work out? There's nothing to worry about, Priestess. Soon the trap I've set for them will spring," Nakago stated.

"The trap you set for them?" Yui asked confused.

"It was set up long ago," Nakago smirked.

~0~

Chiriko was still playing his flute, but it sounded like it did when he killed the bats and the assassin.

~0~

"And they've already fallen into it," Nakago added.

~0~

"The Priestess of Suzaku, intoxicated with happiness in the court of Konan, clung to her beloved Tamahome," Naruto read with a small smile.

"Finally, things are as they should be. Aika will be able to summon Suzaku and come home," Hinata smiled.

~0~

Chiriko kept playing the tune as Tamahome smiled while holding his beloved Aika in his arms. Aika smiled softly as she listened to his heart beat. His warmth, she's missed it so much.

 **Kida: There is a traitor in our midst.**

 **Tamahome: Eh? Who?**

 **Kida: Wow, you were so into your time with Aika you didn't notice?**

 **Hotohori: What are you talking about, Kida?**

 **Kida: Kami! Am I the only one who knows anything?!**

 **Naruto: At the moment, yeah.**

 **Kida: Hey! I know many things you don't, pal! Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapters! Please favorite and comment!**


	25. Shadow of Intrigue

**Kida: Just two more chapters after this...i-it's almost finished...**

 **Naruto: Then we get to see the sequel!**

 **Kida: Maybe, if I don't lose internet...**

 **Kido: Oh yeah, dad got the bill...damn company. They're added twenty freakin' dollars to the bill!**

 **Kida: DAMN THE ECONOMY AND THE COMPANY!**

 **Chichiri: While those two rant, I'll do the disclaimer, ya know! Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. But she does own Aika Hitsubasa and possible future OCs, ya know!**

Under Nakago's spell, Tamahome returned to Konan to kill Lady Aika, the Priestess of Suzaku, and faced Emperor Hotohori in a fierce battle. Finally in a weakened stated, he was able to regain his lost memories and his soul. After healing, Tamahome pretended to remain under the spell's influence to help Lady Aika recover Suzaku's scroll the Universe of the Four Gods from Kutou.

"But this time stay with me, don't leave like that again. Just keep holding me like you're doing now," Aika murmured with her eyes closed, Tamahome's arms wrapped around her tightly.

"I promise with all my heart, I will never leave you alone again," he vowed. Aika smiled against his chest as she hugged him. They pulled back, earthly brown meeting lavender. Aika wrapped her arms around his neck before they leaned in and kissed. The Lady Aika gave her heart entirely to Tamahome and Tamahome gave his in return.

~0~

Outside looking at the stars was a young boy who was looking at the constellations.

"There are the stars of Suzaku," he said before gasping. "The stars. The stars foretell misfortune!"

~0~

The birds chirped happily as the sky was clear and the sun shined in the blue sky. Aika was asleep in her room and Kurama crawled up to her. He then gently pawed her face.

"Hey, Kit, it's time to wake up," he said to her. Aika groaned a bit before opening her eyes to see him.

"Oh, it's you, Kurama. And I was right in the middle of a really good dream," she muttered. Kurama chuckled.

"Care to share?" He asked. Aika smiled a bit.

"My mother and father were alive…they got to meet Tamahome and everyone else, Yui was back home. It was like this whole thing never happened," she said to him.

"Sounds like a good dream, Kit. Maybe you can get it when you summon Suzaku. I can see you possibly getting married to Ogre boy," Kurama said to her. Aika's eyes widened and she jumped out of bed making Kurama fall to the floor. "Whoa now! No need to be so depressed and gloomy!" He said sarcastically as Aika ran out of the room. Aika ran around all the corners and soon made it to the room.

"Tamahome!" She said opening his door. She then saw him with ryou on the floor.

"Two fifty six, two fifty seven, two fifty eight-huh? Oh, Aika," Tamahome looked over at her.

"What's all this about, huh?" Aika smiled a bit as she walked over.

"I've been up counting my money stash I keep hidden under my bed," Tamahome admitted. Aika gave him a look and crossed her arms.

"Don't tell me you've been up all night," she said with a light scolding tone.

"Because every time I count it, I come up one gold piece short!" Tamahome exclaimed, dark circles under his eyes. "Before I left I'm sure I had three hundred and twelve coins here. Ugh! Now I have to count them again!" He exclaimed. Aika giggled softly to herself.

 _'Tamahome, he hasn't changed a bit,'_ she thought.

"You don't have to worry, Aika," Tamahome said surprising her. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise," Tamahome smiled at her. "You came running in here to look for me because you were worried, right?" He asked. Aika sighed with a smile. She walked over and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind.

"Can you blame me? But I know you're a man of your word and I trust you. I'm just getting this feeling somethings going to happen," Aika admitted. Tamahome brought a hand up and gently rubbed her arm.

"What kind of feeling, Aika?" Tamahome asked.

"I don't know. But the last time I got a bad feeling, some bad happened. Might as well be on our toes, right?" Aika smiled warmly at him. Tamahome smiled back.

"Right," he agreed. Aika looked over and saw something.

"Ah, I think I see your missing little friend," she said going over and grabbing it.

"All right! Now that all my money's safe, why don't we go get something to eat?" Tamahome suggested.

"Good idea. I'm hungry!" Aika smiled at him. "Just let me go change," she said before going to her room to do so. Once done, she walked with Tamahome to get something to eat. _'Tamahome's finally back which means the Suzaku Seven are all together now. And that means it's almost time to summon Suzaku!'_ She smiled. They made it to the dining hall where they all began eating.

"How about you tell us your wishes, Kit? I'm curious," Kurama said making everyone look at the Priestess with curious eyes.

"Oh…well…" Aika poked her fingers together shyly.

"Stop acting like an embarrassed Hinata and tell us, woman!" Kurama told her. Aika smiled a bit.

"I'd like to have that dream I told you about," she said to Kurama.

"Ah, you're parents alive and getting to meet all of us and everything's peaceful. Sounds like a good possible dream, and though I hate to say it, except for the first part," Kurama said to her. Aika frowned slightly and sighed.

"I know. I guess I just want them to at least meet everyone here. I know they would just love you guys," Aika said with a soft smile making the others smile a bit at that. _'The first thing to do when Suzaku appears is to get Yui back from Kutou. We need to talk and iron things out and it's been impossible to do while she's there. I'm sure she'll understand and we can make up once we're together again…I hope. Then I'll ask Suzaku if my parents can meet the Warriors. At least this time I'll actually be able to find closure with them. Then maybe I can asked Suzaku about Tamahome. Maybe there can be a way I can stay with him and be able to visit my world once in a while,'_ she thought while Tamahome and the others talked.

"You don't say, that must have been really awful," he said to the others. He saw Aika's gaze on him and looked at her. He smiled at her before looking at Tasuki. "So what's with you? Why aren't you eating anything, huh?" Tamahome asked before Tasuki scoffed.

"Sitting with you makes me lose my appetite," he replied.

"Hey! What's with all this attitude of yours?!" Tamahome asked offended. "We've just met and already you have a grudge against me?!"

"Just met?!" Tasuki exclaimed before standing and slamming his hands down on the table. "Look at me! Now do you remember meeting me before and messing me up?!" He growled. He suddenly groaned before crying out in pain because of his arm. "Ow! Ow! You'll pay for this, you little punk!"

"Yeah? Come on! I'd like to see you try it!" Tamahome challenged. Aika giggled at them.

"Wow, looks like they're getting along _so_ well," Aika said sarcastically making Nuriko snicker.

"Will you two cut it out?!" Kurama growled at the two men. Nuriko smiled and used his chop sticks to put something in her rice bowl.

"Aika, I wanna ask you for a favor," he said making Aika look at her rice bowl where Nuriko had put the meet.

"What is it, Nuriko?" She asked her friend.

"When you summon Suzaku in today's ceremony, could you ask to make me a woman?" Nuriko asked with a hopeful smile. Aika blinked at that before smirking.

"Why? So you can comfort Hotohori while showing off your new feminine wilds?" She teased while Nuriko blushed a bit.

"Yes, that's right!" Nuriko smiled. Aika remembered when Hotohori had stayed in her room.

 _"I want you here with me, sharing all my days. I love you, Aika," Hotohori had told her before they kissed._ Aika then remembered when Hotohori saved her from the pond. _"AIKA!"_

 _'I still haven't spoken with Hotohori. I haven't said anything to him, even after he risked his life like that to protect me. This is no time to be fantasizing about my parents, my friends, or my life with Tamahome. Before I make any wishes I have to resolve some things,'_ Aika thought to herself.

"Come on, everyone! If you have a wish you better ask Aika now to have it granted!" Nuriko said to the other Warriors.

"Hey! When did I suddenly become everyone's wishing jar?!" Aika exclaimed.

~0~

Nakago walked through the halls of the palace to go see Yui. He soon made it to her room and walked in.

"Excuse me, Lady Yui," he said as he walked in. He then walked over to her bed. "What's the matter? Are you still sulking?" He asked her. Yui remained silent for a moment.

"Nakago, what is the trap you have set for Aika and the others?" She asked.

"If you wish to know then would you please get up? You stayed in bed far too long. There's someone here I want you to meet," Nakago said, his patience starting to wear thin.

"No. Forget it, Nakago. I don't feel like meeting anyone right now," Yui sighed a bit.

"Well, you might change your mind if you know it was one of the Seiryuu Seven," Nakago said to her.

"Seiryuu Seven?"

"Yes, just as the Priestess of Suzaku has seven stars that act as her guardians; you, Lady Yui, the Priestess of Seiryuu, have seven guardians. Myself included," Nakago stated. Yui sat up.

"But I thought the Priestess was supposed to search out for the Seven Celestial Warriors. I haven't done anything," Yui said to him.

"The Priestess and the Seven Warriors call out to each other. And in the same way I was drawn to you when I initially found you that time," Nakago said making her look at him. "If you won't get up, I'll have to bring him here to you later," he said before leaving. Yui clutched the blanket.

 _'Aika, it looks as if I haven't lost to you yet after all,'_ Yui thought.

~0~

Chiriko was playing a happy tune on his flute as he sat on the railing, Mitsukake leaning against it beside him. Aika soon ran up as she saw them and that made Chiriko stop playing.

"Oh, Aika."

"Hello, Chiriko and Mitsukake. Do you know where Hotohori is?" Aika asked them.

"His Highness is in a private conference with Chichiri and asked us to make sure no one disturbed him," Chiriko replied.

"Oh, I see," Aika sighed a bit. _'What should I do? I've got to talk to him before the ceremony starts. Maybe it's a bit selfish, but I need to clear things up with him first,'_ she thought before Chiriko began playing his flute again. Aika smiled a bit as she listened to the tune. She watched Chiriko…but her feeling seemed to be growing worse.

~0~

"Then you are saying the Seiryuu Seven have already gathered together?" Hotohori asked, standing behind his desk.

"There's no evidence of it, but I'm afraid it could be true," Chichiri said as Hotohori sat down. "More importantly now is the question of how many of them can practice sorcery. I wasn't able to break through that barrier in Kutou at all by myself. It was beyond me."

"Meaning there may be other sorcerers there besides Nakago," Hotohori noted.

"Exactly, until the ritual ceremony's completed, I'd like to cast a barrier of my own," Chichiri, his face being mask free.

"By all means, but do not tell the others about the Seiryuu Seven, Aika especially. I do not want her to trouble herself with these trifles while she's so happy and relieved to have Tamahome back," Hotohori said trying to keep the sadness out of his tone.

"You are in love with her, aren't you, Sire?" Chichiri frowned. Hotohori sighed with a small smile.

"Ever since we first met I've known she has eyes for only Tamahome, but still I…still I cannot rid myself of these feelings I have for Aika," Hotohori said.

~0~

What they didn't know was that outside, Aika had heard him and felt more guilty.

"Hotohori…" she whispered.

~0~

"You may laugh if you think it is foolish," Hotohori said to him. Chichiri smiled a bit.

"No, Sire," he replied. He then hummed when he looked over his shoulder a little. "Anyway, I better go and you're about to have a visitor, ya know!" Chichiri said before putting his mask back on. He then moved his hand and Aika fell into the room with surprised cry.

"Aika!" Hotohori said surprised to see her. Aika glared at Chichiri.

"A little warning would have been nice, you know!" She told him. She then blushed and looked at Hotohori. "Uh…h-hi there." She got up quickly.

"Give me ten!" Chichiri said holding his hands out. Aika raised an eyebrow and decided to humor her before bring her hands out. He slapped them. "You're it!" He said before leaving, using his magic to close the door.

"I sometimes wonder about that guy…" Aika muttered before looking at Hotohori. She sighed a bit and walked up to his desk.

~0~

"That's the capitol of Konan," the man in the carriage said to the young boy beside him.

"We have to hurry!"

~0~

"Hotohori, I, um…" Aika trailed off as she looked down. Hotohori stood up.

"It is all right, Aika. You've some to reply to my proposal, I guess," Hotohori said as he walked passed her. "I am sorry to have troubled you. My, um, advisors have been after me to take an Empress for a while now. They must be worried about the need for an heir to the throne," Hotohori said with a nervous chuckle. "And so I started to panic about it as well."

"I'm sorry," Aika whispered as a tear ran down her cheek. Hotohori saw a tear fall down and frowned. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" she whispered as she tried to control her tears. "I like you, Hotohori. You've always been so kind to me, always taken such good care of me. I really thought I could fall in love with you, but I was wrong. I care for you, but I'm not in love with you. I never wanted to hurt you and I knew I have and…I'm so sorry," she said to him. Hotohori walked up to her, placing a hand on her back.

"Aika, you shouldn't cry. Weren't you the one taught the ruler of a country that you cannot force someone to feel a certain way or change their minds with orders?" Hotohori asked her, remembering that time when Aika and Nuriko weren't getting along.

"But you have been so good and have done so much for me and I've given you nothing in return," Aika said as she looked up at him.

"At your own peril, you gathered the Seven Warriors of Suzaku and you will use your power to save my nation as I asked of you?" Hotohori asked her. Aika nodded.

"Yeah, of course I would," Aika replied.

"Then please, will you allow a pathetic man like me to be in love with you once again?" Hotohori asked her. He then pulled her tightly into his arms. "Aika, I love you. I love you. I love you, Aika," He said as he buried his face in her hair. Aika held him, her arms around his torso.

 _"The Priestess of Suzaku? What is that?" Young Hotohori asked._

 _"According to ancient legend, the character which appears on your Majesty's neck, marks you as one destined to be the protector of the Priestess who shall come from another world and summon the power of Suzaku," his advisor replied._

 _'The Priestess of Suzaku, a girl who will appear from another world. Maybe she will be able to save me from the loneliness I feel. Maybe she will love me as a person and not just as the next Emperor, but as a man. Surely,' young Hotohori had thought._

' _Surely,'_ Hotohori thought before pulling away. "Forgive me. Please go ahead to the Shrine of Suzaku with the others. We should begin the ceremony."

"Right, I better get going. Will you be okay?" She asked concerned. Hotohori smiled gently at her.

"Yes, I will be fine," he said to her. Aika gave a small smile back before running off. "Attendant!" He called before he attendant came over, bowing.

"Yes, at your service, Sire."

"The ritual to summon Suzaku will commence immediately. Make final preparations," Hotohori ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

~0~

 _'Hotohori, thank you,'_ Aika thought as she ran. She suddenly ran into someone making her fall back onto her rear. "Ouch," she winced before looking to see it was Tamahome. "Oh! I'm sorry, Tamahome! My mind just seems to be everywhere today," she said getting up and helping him up.

"It's all right. You were in quite a hurry. I had been on my way to come pick you up," Tamahome said to her.

"Had I known that, I would have waited," Aika smiled. "I was on my way to the Shrine of Suzaku."

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Tamahome asked.

"Oh nothing. I was just wondering around," Aika replied. She wasn't going to tell him about what just happened between her and Hotohori. No need for him to get jealous. The two made it to a pond and began walking on the rock path. "Tamahome, if you could wish for anything in the world, what would you wish for?"

"You really need to ask?" Tamahome said before fantasizing about being rich.

"Do you want me to hit you?" Aika muttered.

"Just kidding," Tamahome chuckled a bit. "I'd wish for one thing only; that you and I spend our entire lives together," he smiled at her. Aika smiled back with a light blush.

 _'That's all I needed to hear. I won't worry about anything anymore. Once I summon Suzaku, everything will work out fine. Yui will be home, my family can meet my friends and Tamahome, and…I can be with Tamahome…..I won't be alone anymore,'_ she thought to herself.

~0~

"Lady Yui," Nakago said making Yui look away from the mirror and at him. She then saw a young man dressed in orange and blue with blondish green hair. "Forgive the small delay. I hope we didn't keep you waiting long. I would like to introduce you to a member of the Seiryuu Seven, the one I told you about. Suboshi."

"How do you do, Lady Yui? Suboshi at your service," the young man said politely.

"This boy is a Warrior?" Yui asked surprised. "Nakago, what good can he be to us? How can he interfere with the ceremony to summon Suzaku from here in Kutou?"

"I'm sorry, Suboshi. The Lady Yui appears to be a foul mood today," Nakago said to his fellow Warrior. Suboshi raised his head and smirked which made Nakago smirk back.

~0~

Outside, the guards were guarding the Shrine of Suzaku while the Warriors made sure everything was ready for the summoning. Tamahome and Aika walked over to Chichiri, Hotohori, and Kurama.

"Hotohori, Chichiri, Kurama," Aika smiled.

"It's almost time," Tamahome added.

"It is," Hotohori.

"So, Chichiri, I've been meaning to ask you, how exactly does this ceremony work?" Aika asked.

"Ya know, I'm really curious about that myself….Y-you don't need to kill someone do you?" Kurama asked making the others sweat-drop.

"No, Kurama, we don't," Hotohori replied.

"Oh good, I thought you might use a certain Nine Tailed Fox…my tails are saved," Kurama said with relief making Aika roll her eyes with amusement.

"It's simply, ya know. A spell is read from Suzaku's Universe of the Four Gods then it's burned in the sacrificial fire," Chichiri said handing her the scroll. Aika opened the scroll to look at the spell.

"Good thing I took some time into learning this language. I'll be able to read the spell then," Aika said with a smile.

"Yup! You're looking at her teacher!" Kurama grinned.

"You know Chinese?" Tamahome asked him.

"Of course! I'm a lot older than I look, Kit! I've been around for hundreds of years. You learn a lot in that time," Kurama stated.

"Smarty fox," Aika teased.

"And don't you forget it!" Kurama replied making the three men chuckle.

"Lady Priestess," a woman said. Aika turned to see two maids holding garments with another maid standing in front of them. "We're here to serve you for your preparation for the ceremony."

"Serve me? What do you mean serve me?" Aika blinked. She has never had a servant, so that kind of thing was all new to her.

"Serve you as in assist you to purify your body and dress you in the reinvents of a Priestess," Hotohori explained to her.

"Oh, I see," Aika mused.

"In the meantime, you should meditate on what your wishes shall be. You will only have three," Hotohori stated.

"What? Now I suddenly feel like I'm going to rub the genie out of the lamp," Aika muttered. Only three wishes, she'll have to think them wisely. Mainly about how to word them unless she wants something to go wrong.

"Come this way please," the servant said before Aika started to follow them.

"Oh, Aika! I have something to give to you!" Tamahome said before he was suddenly kicked over by Tasuki. Now he had a foot on Tamahome while flexing his muscles.

"Genro is back!" Tasuki smirked. Chichiri and Hotohori were surprised. Tamahome jumped up while Tasuki turned his back to him.

"What do you think you're doing?! That hurt!" Tamahome told him.

"Tamahome, I didn't see ya standin' there," Tasuki smirked.

"Mitsukake, I see that your powers have returned to you," Chiriko mused.

"I just hope you all stay out of trouble for a while," Mitsukake said with amusement.

"What an amazing difference, ya know. It was so quiet and peaceful around here before Tasuki recovered from his battle wounds, ya know!" Chichiri smiled. Kurama laughed.

"You said it, Kit!" He said.

"What do ya mean by that?!" Tasuki snapped at them. Kurama smirked.

"That's you're just as reckless and loud as a certain knucklehead I happen to know. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Priestess to guard from you peeping toms," he said before going after the servants and Priestess leaving six blushing men.

~0~

Aika listened to the water fall from the waterfalls as she swam around the crystal blue clear water. It was relaxing honestly. The last time she'd been swimming like this was years ago when she was a little kid.

 _'I've been lucky enough to come this far. I've become the Priestess of Suzaku, I found the Suzaku Seven, I fell in love with Tamahome, and….became enemies with Yui. Is it asking too much to have both Tamahome and Yui with me and be happy again?'_ She thought sadly. She ducked into the water and made her way back to the servants.

"Lady Priestess, this is not a game. It's time to cleanse your body and spirit thoughtfully," the main servant said. Aika appeared out of the water and gave a shy smile.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just needed to calm my nerves," she said rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well, that is understandable. This is a big event," the maid smiled.

"Tell me about it."

~0~

Tamahome was walking around the shrine, a little upset that Tasuki intervened before Tamahome could give Aika the present.

' _Man, where'd they take Aika anyway? I have something to give to her,'_ he thought to himself. He heard the water from the waterfalls and turned to see Aika under the falling water. Aika turned to see him.

"T-Tamahome," Aika stammered with a blush. She hurried behind a rock as she did her best to at least cover her chest. Tamahome quickly turned around with a blush.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't come here to spy on you, honest!" Tamahome stuttered.

"Kurama was supposed to be guarding. W-what are you doing here?" Aika asked, her face beat red from embarrassment.

"W-well, I guess I'll have to come out there to you," was all Tamahome replied with making Aika's eyes widen. She heard him walking through the water.

"No! Tamahome, this is a sacred place of purity!" Aika said mainly trying to keep him from see her naked form. Suddenly his pale red shirt covered her.

"You ninny, what do you think I'm gonna do? I meant to return this earlier, but couldn't so I came out here to give it to you," Tamahome said as he took out her black and purple hair clip. Aika used his shirt to cover herself. Aika saw it and remember when it fell off. When Tamahome had attacked her.

 _'My…my hair clip,'_ she thought.

"It belongs to you, doesn't it? To keep your bangs out of her eyes. I don't know how I came to have it, but I thought you might be looking for it," Tamahome said, keeping his back to her as he handed the hair clip over. Aika smiled as she took the hair clip.

 _'This means he's kept it this entire time, even when he was under Nakago's spell. Even then he still felt something for me,'_ she thought relieved. She wrapped her arms around his torso from behind, her head resting against his should blade. "Thank you, Tamahome." Tamahome smiled and placed his hands on hers.

"Any time, Aika. Here, let's put this on you," he said to her. He took the hair clip before turning and moving some of her bangs from her right eye. He then clipped the hair in place. "There, much better," he said being able to see both of her eyes now. Aika blushed a bit, but smiled.

~0~

At the Shrine of Suzaku, Nuriko, Kurama, and Chichiri were looking at the small mirror Aika had used to find the other Warriors.

"I found this in Aika's room and it was acting weird. I think it has to do with Aika's 'vibe'," Kurama said as he was held by Chichiri.

"This is really strange," Nuriko said looking at the mirror. Tamahome walked up.

"What is it, Nuriko?" He asked curious.

"Tamahome, isn't Aika supposed to be with you?" Nuriko asked.

"No, she's changing her clothing. So what's wrong?" Tamahome asked.

"Look at this mirror. Taiitsukun gave it to Aika when we lost the scroll. It signals the proximity of a Suzaku Warrior and helped us find them all," Nuriko said to him.

"And it's starting to flash again, ya know," Chichiri added. Tamahome looked at the mirror.

"Well, it must be broken then, right?" He asked.

"I don't know. This mirror didn't flash at all when we were close to finding Chiriko. We found Chiriko in your home village and there was no signs that he was near," Kurama said to Tamahome. All of a sudden, he was getting a bad feeling about Chiriko.

~0~

Chiriko ran to an area, away from prying eyes. He then scratched his wrist.

~0~

Suboshi groaned as he started unwrapping his wrist gauntlet.

"It comes?" Nakago asked him. Yui was confused and saw Nakago was smirking. She then saw Suboshi's wrist had writing on it. A message. Suboshi smirked as he read it.

"Lord Nakago, they're about to begin the ceremony to summon Suzaku," he announced.

"I see. It's finally time," Nakago replied.

"How can he know about that?" Yui asked Nakago.

"It's all been a part of my strategy," Nakago answered.

"Strategy?"

"That's right. Sometime ago we sent out a spy and now this informant is hiding in Konan," Nakago informed.

"And what about this message on his arm?" Yui asked.

"They say twins aren't at all like normal siblings. They shared and exceptionally strong bond in both body and mind," Nakago stated.

"Do you mean to say the spy we have hiding in Konan is…"

"My twin brother's there. Amiboshi," Suboshi stated.

~0~

The fire was blazing while the Warriors waited for Aika to appear. At the door, a woman dressed in red robes appeared. Aika finally looked the part of the Priestess of Suzaku. Aika then started making her way up to the cauldron, walking passed her Warriors and Kurama, all smiling at her.

~0~

"Completely unaware of the plot against them, the purified Priestess of Suzaku arrived at the ceremonial temple in order to finally summon Suzaku," Naruto read.

~0~

"Tell me, why do we have to rush so urgently to the capitol?" The man asked as he and the boy road in the fast moving carriage.

"It was written in the stars. If nothing is done soon, the Suzaku Seven along with the Priestess of Suzaku will be killed by their enemies," the young boy replied.

~0~

Aika stood at the table that held the fire cauldron. All Seven Warriors stood around it as Kurama watched. It was time to summon Suzaku.

 **Kida: I told you people there was a traitor in our midst, but did anyone listen to me? Nooooo...**

 **Kurama: Oh quiet you!**

 **Kida: Make me, foxy!**

 **Kurama: Maybe I will, brat!**

 **Kido: *Sweat-drops* Kida is arguing with a talking fox. You do't see that everyday.**

 **Mitsukake: No, you don't. We hope you all enjoyed the chapter will favorite and comment.**


	26. Resolution

**Kida: Oh my fudge...Just one more chapter to go!**

 **Naruto: I can't wait for the sequel!**

 **Tamahome: Can't you just add on to this story.**

 **Kida: This is the first season. One season, one story. Two seasons, two stories. Get it?**

 **Tamahome: Yeah, yeah, yeah.**

 **Chiriko: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and possible future OCs. Enjoy!**

Lady Aika, the Priestess of Suzaku, and all of the Suzaku Seven at long last have assembled in Konan. Even though he is well aware of Lady Aika's love for Tamahome, the Emperor Hotohori cannot escape his feelings for her and wrestles with his own heart ache.

"The ritual to summon Suzaku will commence shortly. Make all final preparations," Hotohori had ordered his attendant. And now the ceremony to summon Suzaku is about to be performed in the Konan Palace's shrine to Suzaku.

~0~

"Hoping to arrive in time to prevent the Suzaku's ceremony from falling into tragedy and disaster, the mysterious boy stood before the Konan Palace," Naruto read to everyone.

~0~

"Does everyone here understand? Once the Priestess of Suzaku begins to recite the spell, we seven must lower our life force to nothing," Hotohori said.

"But that would leave us defenseless, wouldn't it?" Tasuki asked.

"Then if we were attacked there would be nothing we could do about it," Nuriko agreed. Aika was thinking about her wishes as her heart beat in her ears. She was always worried about them being attacked, but was nervous.

"Aika, it's okay, ya know. Just repeat everything I say," Chichiri assured her. Aika nodded silently, not trusting her voice at the moment.

"Now pray," Hotohori said to Aika while everyone looked at her intently. Aika took a deep breath before looking at the fire. She folding her hands to pray, her eyes closed.

 _'Suzaku will rise up out of this flame. I can't hesitate any longer. Yui…Tamahome…I love them both. The truth is that they mean the most to me and so first: I wish for everlasting peace in Konan and for its people and the Suzaku Seven to be happy and free. Second: I wish to have Yui can and we can be granted the ability to open that shop we've always dreamed of. Third: No matter how it's done, I wish to be with Tamahome always,'_ she thought to herself. She then saw the look from Nuriko making her sweat-drop. _'And to add to the first wish, please make Nuriko a woman with good luck and happiness. Please, I don't wish to face his wrath without having to try!'_ She added to her prayer.

"We will begin! Ready, Priestess?" Chichiri asked sweat-dropping as well. Aika nodded showing she was ready. She looked at the flames and did the hand seal that Chichiri showed her.

"The four palaces of the Heavens, the four corners of Earth, in the name of sacred law, faith, and virtue, I summon thee Suzaku, Guardian of the South. I beset you to appear on Earth from the palaces of Heaven for the sake of those here who adore you and await your presence. Come to us and with your mighty power destroy all that is evil. Save us and grant us our wishes. Descend to us now from the Heavens above!" Aika said as she threw the scroll in. Everyone then lowered their life forces. They all waited and Aika frowned, her eyes narrowed in confused. _'Nothing is happening.'_

"What's wrong?" Tamahome asked wondering what was going on. "Suzaku is not appearing!" Suddenly Chiriko or Amiboshi started playing his flute. Everyone looked at Amiboshi.

"Chiriko!" Aika exclaimed until she gasped. She groaned and covered her ears in pain. "My head, it hurts!" She whimpered. Kurama was laying on the ground. His ears where flat against his head with his paws on his ears. His tails were wishing around angrily. The other Warriors knelt to the ground in pain as they covered their ears, their heads in pain. Some were letting out small screams of pain while some groaned.

"My head's splitting apart!" Tamahome groaned.

"My head too, ya know!" Chichiri agreed.

"I-I haven't felt pain like this…s-since the Fourth Shinobi War…" Kurama growled in pain. He remembered the pain of being extracted from Naruto and then what happened with Madara. Soon Amiboshi stopped.

"You have all failed here in your mission. Now Suzaku will never appear," he said to them with a cold tone. Aika narrowed her eyes at him.

"Chiriko…y-you did this?" She asked betrayed.

 _'He's not Chiriko. That's why the summoning didn't work!'_ Kurama glared.

"Maybe you will understand better now why I have played my flute so much all along, Priestess. You're bodies now react to the flute's sounds. I had you listen to it constantly to prepare you for this moment. Bit by bit, I have introduced my life force and will into your conscience," Amiboshi said. Aika's eyes widened as she remembered the day they met him, when he played the flute to kill the bats and the assassin.

"You…you mean those bats that attacked us where…"

"Yes, my doing. The man I killed there in the forest that day had traveled with me from Kutou for that very purpose. I didn't want to kill him, really, but I had to, to earn your trust and confidence over and over all that time. Everything I did until today was laying the ground work so that I could cast this spell upon you at this exact moment. All the time, I was just pretending to be Chiriko. Your great weakness is that you trust people too easily, but it's all over now," Amiboshi said before playing his flute. Aika winced and tried to bite back a cry of pain. It was unsuccessful and she let it out.

"You cad! You're one…of the Seiryuu!" Tamahome glared. Tasuki grabbed his fan.

"Re…Rekka Shinen!" He shouted before fire came out. It his Amiboshi's right shoulder and revealed his mark.

"I am one of the Seiryuu Seven. Amiboshi," Amiboshi smirked.

"Aha!" Tasuki hummed.

"I knew something wasn't right about him," Kurama muttered. "Someone about him always rubbed me the wrong way."

"This song will split apart your souls," Amiboshi smirked before playing the flute. The flute glowed blue. Tasuki and Kurama screamed in pain. The others joined in on the screaming.

"W-we can't defend ourselves against this sound! I-it's killing us!" Aika exclaimed as the sound got higher.

"My head!" Nuriko screamed. Aika glared at Amiboshi and started making her way over to him, shakily. Tamahome saw her.

"Aika! Aika, wait! This pain…is there some way to stop that awful noise?!" He grunted out.

"If I knew…he would be…in a pool of his own blood!" Kurama growled in pain. Aika made her way over to Amiboshi as the ground began to crumble by her.

"A-Amiboshi…please! You-ah!" The jewel ornaments and crown broke off her, her hair down. There was suddenly another flute playing. "W-what's that? I think I hear some other flute!" Amiboshi stopped playing as he heard it.

 _'What is that sound? It's disrupting my sound waves,'_ Amiboshi thought. The screams of pain stopped and everyone felt relief from the lack of pain. "It can't be, that music has broken my spell and released them from my control," he said shocked. His eyes widened and he turned to see Tamahome coming at him. Tamahome then kicked him. Amiboshi groaned and jumped.

"Stop there!" Tamahome called before going after him.

"After him!" Tasuki shouted following after them.

"Tamahome! Tasuki!" Aika called as Chichiri helped her up with Kurama. Three guards ran in.

"Your Highness! Is everything all right?!" Amiboshi attacked the one in the middle as he jumped over them. He jumped up and suddenly disappeared onto the gate. Tamahome and Tasuki glared.

"He's outside the courtyard!" Tamahome stated.

"Let's get 'em!" Tasuki said to him before the two took off. Aika, Kurama, and Chichiri ran down the steps.

"Wait a minute, both of you! Chichiri, take me quick and catch up with them!" Aika ordered.

"You got it, ya know!" Chichiri agreed.

"Me too! I want to sink my teeth into that scum!" Kurama growled.

~0~

Through the village, Tasuki and Tamahome were chasing Amiboshi on the roof tops.

"Stop right there!" Tamahome shouted.

"Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki shouted as he used his fan in hopes of roasting Amiboshi….he accidentally got Tamahome instead. Amiboshi jumped away and Tamahome picked Tasuki up by the collar.

"Scum bag!"

"Sorry, homie. Pay back's hell," Tasuki retorted.

~0~

Amiboshi landed close by the bridge that was over running water before jumping over to a boatman who was smoking his pipe.

"Launch your boat! Hurry, launch your boat!" He said to him.

"No, I can't do it today. The river's swollen from the heavy rain we had lately. A few people have even been swept away by the strong undertow. Sorry, kid," the boatman said making Amiboshi frown in frustration. He heard footsteps and his eyes widened as he turned to see Tamahome and Tasuki.

"You can't escape now," Tamahome said while Amiboshi gritted his teeth. "Your name is Amiboshi? How many of the Seiryuu Seven besides you and Nakago have been gathered together so far?"

"We don't need to ask this loser anything!" Tasuki snapped through clenched teeth. "After we took you in as our friend, and after Aika opened up to you about her past, how dare you sucker us in like that?!" He glared at the younger male.

"Tamahome! Tasuki! Leave him alone! Don't fight!" Aika called. Suddenly, she, Kurama, and Chichiri landed on Tasuki. "Chichiri, you really need to practice your landing!" She scolded. Amiboshi jumped up and went to attack her. Aika glared and took out her kunai to block the hit.

"Aika!" Tamahome shouted. He got in front of her and blocked the hit.

"Stop fighting! Amiboshi, I know the real reason you play music! You do it to comfort others! Otherwise, why play that tune when I told you about my mother? You don't want to hurt others with it!" Aika said surprising the Seiryuu Warrior as he landed on the ledge of the river bank. It suddenly crumbled and he started falling in. "NO!" She shouted as she ran over. She grabbed his flute while he fell, him holding onto it. Amiboshi looked up at her with shock. "Amiboshi…just hang on," she smiled that warm smile as she tried to pull him up. Amiboshi stared at her for a moment before smiling. He then let go of the flute. Aika's eyes widened as he fell into the river with a smile. "Amiboshi!"

"Aika!" Tamahome stopped her from going in to save him. The others looked at the rough currents and Kurama looked at Aika to see her gripping the flute.

~0~

Suboshi's eyes widened as he suddenly felt something in his left arm.

"Amiboshi?...Amiboshi! My brother's life force has vanished! I-I don't feel anything! He's been killed by that Suzaku Seven!" Suboshi glared at the ground, his eyes filled with hate and sadness. "Brother! Brother! NO!"

~0~

Aika, Kurama, Tamahome, Tasuki, and Chichiri made it back to the temple, Aika was holding the flute close to her.

"Aika, what happened? Where's the boy?" Nuriko asked. Aika looked down, her bans covering her eyes now that her hair clip was out. She shook her head.

"He fell into the river. There was no way we could save him from the rapid current," Tamahome said for Aika.

"I see…" Nuriko looked down. "It's hard to believe he was one of the Seiryuu Seven."

"I cannot say I am happy he is dead, but we were very naïve not to realize we had an impostor in our midst," Hotohori said.

"What are ya talkin' about?! I'm glad that, that guys out of here for good! You reap what you sow, right?! He deserved to die!" Tasuki shouted.

"Don't talk that way about him!" Aika snapped at the red head surprising him. "He may have been our sworn enemy, but deep down he wasn't evil at all! Someone evil could…someone so evil could never play such beautiful music that was sweet and clear. It's as I told him, the way he played his flute reminded me of the way my mother used to play. It was beautiful, sincere, and sweet!" Aika stated as she clutched the flute close.

"I agree with you!" A young boy said making everyone snap there heads over with question.

"Stop there! It's off limits!" The guard said as he and another guard blocked the way.

"Stand down!" Hotohori ordered. The boy brought a leaf to his lips and suddenly blew into it creating a beautiful melody. Aika's eyes widened as she recognized the tune from when Amiboshi had tried to kill them.

 _'He's going to kill us!" Aika had shouted. Suddenly there was another tune._ "Then you're the one. It was you," Aika said looking at the young boy. She saw he had light brown hair and green eyes, dressed in green robes.

"Yes! I disrupted the soundwaves of his melody with a simple leaf whistle. It caused distortion in his vibration and intensified his confusion," he smiled at her.

 _'What is that sound? It's disrupting my sound waves,' Amiboshi thought. The screams of pain stopped and everyone felt relief from the lack of pain. "It can't be, that music has broken my spell and released them from my control," he said shocked._ Aika smiled warmly at him as she bent down a little.

"May I ask what your name is?" She asked him. The boy revealed his foot that had a red mark glowing. Aika gasped a bit in shock.

"A sign!" Tasuki said surprised.

"So you're him?!" Tamahome asked. The boy smiled.

"Yes. I'm Ou Doukon known as Chiriko of the Suzaku Warriors," Chiriko replied surprising the Warriors.

"You're the real Chiriko?! What are you doing here now?!" Tamahome asked.

"Well, I was studying for the Kakkyo Exam," Chiriko replied.

"'Kakkyo'? Wow, for as long as I've been around, I've heard of such a thing. How about you, Kit?" Kurama asked as he jumped onto Aika's head.

"No, I haven. What is Kakkyo if you don't mind my asking?" Aika asked curious.

"It's an exam for high government officials," Nuriko told her.

"You were trying to become a government official at such a young age?" Chichiri asked Chiriko as he sweat-dropped. Chiriko nodded.

"Oh, I remember. It was Shoushi part," Hotohori mused.

"Okay, now what's a Shoushi?" Aika muttered. Nuriko whispered in her ear.

"The second exam in the Kakkyo," he whispered.

"Two parts to an exam….not like the exams back home. We normally have three exams if we want to reach the next rank of ninja…but they're not all on paper," Aika mused as she thought about the Chuunin, Jounin, and Anbu Exams.

"It's almost impossible to pass the Kakkyo Exam, isn't it?" Tamahome sweat-dropped.

"How should I know that?!" Tasuki retorted.

"Oh yes, I heard from some religious pilgrims that there was a thirteen year old boy genius who excelled at the Kakkyo Exam. Where they speaking of you?" Hotohori asked Chiriko.

"Yes. The stars appeared disturbingly to me recently in a vision," Chiriko said before thinking back. _Chiriko was writing in his notebook and dabbed his brush in the ink. Some dropped onto the paper and grew. "What's this?" He asked until he suddenly saw the Stars of Suzaku. "The Stars of Suzaku foretell misfortune!"_ Chiriko explained it to them.

"Of course, the ceremony!" Aika realized before looking over at the cauldron. "The fire's still burning. If we try again now, we might still have a chance," she said to the Warriors. She then thought of Amiboshi. "Amiboshi…goodbye, my friend," she murmured as she held the flute. She made her way up to the cauldron again, the Warriors standing around it. "Everyone, this is our last chance. Concentrate with all you've got!" She said to the Warriors with determination. They all did hand seals to concentrate. _'Please Suzaku, hear our prayers and come to us please!'_ Aika prayed before opening her eyes. She saw something forming in the flames. "Suzaku?" Suddenly Taiitsukun appeared.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW, YOU CELESTIAL IDIOTS?!" She asked them. Suddenly everyone screamed in fear of having not expected her arrival. "Oh get over it already, you big bunch of babies," Taiitsukun said to the people who had anime fell.

"T-T-Taiitsukun!" Nuriko stuttered. Aika got up and looked at her.

"Ugh! Why did that ugly old hag appear before us instead of Suzaku?!" Kurama growled.

"Why do you think, fox?! Because the Priestess forgot to accurately perform the ceremony to summon Suzaku! That's why!" Taiitsukun snapped at Kurama who spazzed out.

"I-I see," Kurama stuttered sweat-dropping. Aika frowned and looked down.

"I…I failed to assemble the Suzaku Warriors in time and it's too late now," she said ashamed. Taiitsukun frowned at her and nodded sadly at that.

"Suzaku can never be summoned now," she told her.

"Never?" Aika's eyes widened.

"Even after I gave you the mirror to search for the Suzaku Warriors, it has come to this," Taiitsukun said upset.

 _'I failed….It's too late,'_ Aika thought.

"Now that you've thrown the Universe of the Four Gods into the fire, that course is impossible, you little fool," Taiitsukun said to her. Aika looked down with tears in her eyes. Tamahome frowned at her. Kurama's ears flattened against his head as he looked down as well.

"Hey grandma! You don't have to be so nasty and rough on her! Aika gave one hundred percent of herself! She tried hard!" Tamahome shouted at Taiitsukun.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING 'GRANDMA'?! ANSWER ME!" Taiitsukun snapped.

"I-I-I only meant it…" Tamahome sweat-dropped in fear. Aika wiped her eyes.

"No wait. Tamahome, it's okay," she said making Tamahome look at her surprised. "I'm so mad at myself," Aika said looking down.

"Kit…" Kurama frowned.

"But why?" Tamahome asked Aika.

"It's not because I don't get my wishes granted, but because so many people had to get hurt for the sake of this moment, for the sake of summoning Suzaku. Yui did, so did Miss Shoka, and Amiboshi, You Tamahome, and Hotohori, Nuriko, Chichiri, Mitsukake, Tasuki, and Kurama. You have all suffered so much for this and yet as Priestess, I couldn't fulfill my obligation to summon Suzaku, could I? I didn't carry out my final duty and I hate myself for it," Aika said looking down with tears streaming down her cheeks. Tamahome walked up to her kneeling form.

"Aika," he said going to touch her shoulder.

"Aika," Taiitsukun said making Tamahome stop. "It seems your journey has changed you. You've finally learned to let someone in other than Yui and Naruto. I never said there weren't any other possible ways to achieve your goal." Aika's eyes widened before looking at Taiitsukun with narrowed brown eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"Oh yeah? So why didn't you say so earlier, ya old hag?!" Tamahome glared at the ruler of the universe.

"YOU CALLING ME AN OLD HAG, HUH?!" Taiitsukun snapped at him.

"No! Taiitsukun, I'm sorry!" Tamahome stammered before falling.

"Hah!" Taiitsukun smirked.

"But you still let Aika beat herself up! You're lucky you're not really here, lady!" Kurama growled.

"Priestess of Suzaku," Taiitsukun said ignoring Kurama.

"HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Kurama snapped as he flailed his arms.

"Things will no longer be as easy as they have been for you and will become difficult. Are you willing to accept that?" Taiitsukun asked Aika. Aika stood up.

"Yes, I am," Aika replied.

"You have to firmly unite in the bond between you and the Suzaku Seven must grow even stronger if you are to succeed. You must prepare yourselves for the worst. Can you handle it? Do you still want to try?" Taiitsukun asked her.

"I do. For all the people who have been hurt and for all those who have encouraged us, it is my sworn duty as Priestess of Suzaku," Aika vowed.

~0~

"The Priestess of Suzaku made a heroic heartfelt pledge to Taiitsukun. She had not a single bit of doubt in her mind and the Suzaku Seven looked on transfixed by the beauty of her strength," Naruto smiled a bit as he read.

~0~

"Very well. I will tell you then. First you have to travel north to the Hokan Empire which is protected by Genbu. There you must gain possession of the holy relic known as the Shinzahou or Holy Celestial Gem," Taiitsukun instructed.

"The land of Genbu."

 **Kida: To the land of Genbu, people! Let's go *Holding sack with a stick and ready to go***

 **Kido: *Sweat-drops* You know it's not real, right?**

 **Kida: Don't ruin my imagination!**

 **Kido: What's next? Going to say you're a pixie?**

 **Kida: *Putting on pixie wings* Hm? You say something?**

 **Kido: *Anime falls* How is this idiot my twin sister?!**

 **Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please favorite and comment!**


	27. Love and Sorrow

**Kida: The last chapter of this story!**

 **Kido: Ya know, I'm kinda sad about that.**

 **Kida: So are they *Points to Naruto and Fushigi Yuugi groups who were crying***

 **Kido: Can you blame them?**

 **Kida: Nope! But they shouldn't worry. Sheesh! I, Kida Tenshi, do not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. I only own Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. Enjoy!**

The long awaited ceremony to summon Suzaku was unexpectedly thwarted by Amiboshi who had been impersonating Chiriko for some time.

"Amiboshi!" Aika called while holding her head in pain. The real Chiriko soon appeared, but it was too late as they all watched the Universe of the Four Gods burn in the sacrificial fire. Their prayers remained unanswered, Taiitsukun directed Lady Aika to the Land of Genbu to the north.

~0~

"Taiitsukun instructed the Priestess to journey to Genbu's land and gain possess of the Shinzahou relic," Naruto read.

~0~

 _'Go to the Hokan Empire, the Land of Genbu, and get the Shinzahou,'_ Aika thought to herself. "Will we be able to summon Suzaku if we do that?" She asked Taiitsukun.

"Yes you will," Taiitsukun replied.

"So what is this Shinzahou thing anyway?" Tamahome asked curious.

"She already said it was some holy gem," Kurama muttered. "We don't need the details. Let's grab the freaking rock, summon Suzaku, and go home!" Kurama said to Aika.

"Well, I want to know more!" Tamahome told him.

"That's all I'm able to tell you at this time," Taiitsukun said with her nose in the hair. Tamahome growled a bit.

' _That old crone!'_ He thought.

"Alright, I'll do it. I'll go to Hokan to find and apprehend the Shinzahou relic, no matter what it takes," Aika promised.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Taiitsukun asked her.

 _'Now that I've ruined the ceremony, I have to somehow summon Suzaku anyway I can,'_ Aika thought before nodding. "Yes, I am sure."

"Well then, if you have made your decision," Taiitsukun said before bringing her arms close. She started chanting something Aika could understand. Suddenly Taiitsukun's hand glowed and white glowing orbs appeared in the hands of six of the Suzaku Seven and by Kurama. Something then appeared in Hotohori's hand, a weapon.

"Wha-What is this?" He asked. A pouch appeared in Mitsukake's hand while Tasuki's became a ban.

"Aw man! My fan became a solid diamond! It's not iron anymore!" He stated. Some tassels appeared on Chichiri's necklace while Chiriko got a scroll. Nuriko was given bracelets and Kurama was given a collar.

"What's this all about?" Nuriko asked.

"Yeah! Why am I suddenly wearing a collar like I'm some sort of pet?!" Kurama growled.

"I am giving you a small reward for the hard work you've all done so far. I have increased your special powers far beyond what they were before," Taiitsukun replied.

"Now that you mention it, I do feeling like there's a lot more power in my body!" Tasuki grinned.

"Oh that's great! Taiitsukun, what about me?! What about me?!" Tamahome asked excited.

"Nothing," Taiitsukun replied making Tamahome sulk. "I'm not giving you anything special. You don't need some 'old hag' giving you gifts when all you really want is money now do you?" She asked before laughing.

"Nothing…oh no! Not after everything I've been through!" Tamahome sulked. He suddenly attacked Mitsukake to grab his pouch. "Give me that! Give me that! I had a gift! I need something! I deserve a reward too!"

"Oh yes, there you are. I nearly forgot something very important. Close your eyes, Aika," Taiitsukun said to the girl.

"Oh, okay," Aika replied before closing her eyes. Taiitsukun lifted her hand and suddenly glittery lights rained down onto Aika. Aika looked in awe.

"These ashes are significant because they are the remains of the smoldering Universe of the Four Gods. If you have any special powers of your own, they will surely help bring them out in you," Taiitsukun said to her.

"Special power, like her Clan's abilities?" Kurama asked.

"Clan's abilities? You mean like that Graceful Fire Wing trick we saw?" Tasuki asked earning a nod from Kurama.

"Her mother was of the Hitsubasa Clan which were granted the powers of a fire bird. In other words, Suzaku," Kurama replied.

"Maybe even more than her Clan's abilities," Taiitsukun said.

 _'My own special powers outside my ninja abilities?'_ Aika asked shocked as she looked at her hands.

"Me too, Taiitsukun! Me too! Me too! Me too! Oh please!" Tamahome begged like a little kid wanting a new toy.

"Knock it off, would you?! Don't be such a pest!" Taiitsukun scolded.

"Thank you for the honor, Taiitsukun. I promise I'll do my best," Aika smiled at the ruler of the universe.

"About that journey," Tasuki started.

"We're happy to come with you," Chiriko added.

"That's right. We can't Aika getting into trouble all alone now, can we?" Nuriko smiled.

"If my girl here gets into trouble then I wanna join!" Kurama said jumping into Aika's arms. Aika smiled.

"Thanks, you guys," she said to them. Tamahome came up behind her and placed his hand on her head.

"You won't forget about me too, will ya?" He muttered. Aika blushed a bit with a smile.

"Tamahome. You dummy, I couldn't forget you even if I tried," she told him. "So, how about we get ready to go and get this show on the road?"

"Wait a minute, hold it," Taiitsukun said making Aika look at her. "I haven't finished my business yet. Would you all step outside so I can speak to Aika alone?"

"On one condition!" Kurama said to her.

"Fine, what is it, fox?" Taiitsukun asked agitated.

"WHY THE HELL AM I WEARING A COLLAR?! WHAT GOOD WILL THIS RUBBISH DO ME?!" Kurama ranted.

"It gives you armor, you furry idiot! The armor appears when you need it!" Taiitsukun replied while Kurama blinked.

"Armor, eh? Maybe I can use that to charm the females," Kurama smirked as he started trotting out. "Let's go so the great woman can talk to Aika! Move it, ya slackers!" Kurama said to the others. Aika giggled a bit at the fox.

~0~

"Lady Yui," Nakago said walking up to the Priestess of Seiryuu who was eating her meal. She looked at him.

"Oh, Nakago."

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meal, but I believe something very disturbing has happened," Nakago said to her.

"Oh really? Well, what's wrong?" Yui asked with a smile, almost smirking. "You almost never get agitated about anything."

"Please, Lady Yui, come with me," Nakago said obviously upset. Yui frowned and followed him. They made it to a room and Nakago opened the door to reveal Suboshi kneeling on the floor.

"What's he doing here?" Yui asked him.

"Amiboshi, the boy's twin brother, has apparently died," Nakago replied with a sigh. Yui's eyes widened.

"He died or was killed or what?"

"It appears he's been killed by the Suzaku Seven I suppose. I tried myself to make contact and get some impression of his life force, but I'm afraid I cannot sense it. I never expect that Amiboshi would be killed," Nakago said to her. Yui walked in and over to Suboshi to hear him crying.

"No…no…" Suboshi quietly sobbed.

"I understand. It's only natural to go on crying like this, especially when you've lost somebody close and important to you," Yui said to him.

"Shut up! You'd never understand what I'm going through!" Suboshi snapped at her. Yui knelt down beside him and pulled him close as if to comfort a child.

"Couldn't I? I think I do understand a little how it feels. How all you want to do is cry. Go ahead and cry, cry as long as you want," Yui said with a soothing and gentle tone. Suboshi was shocked but closed his eyes and started crying into her neck. Outside the closed doors was Nakago who was looking down.

"Amiboshi, what a fool you were."

~0~

"What did you want to tell me, Taiitsukun?" Aika asked as she and Taiitsukun remained in the temple. The Warriors and Kurama were outside.

"I have to discuss a friend of yours with you. Lady Yui, the Priestess of Seiryuu," Taiitsukun said making Aika's eyes widened.

"Is she all right? Did something happen to her?" She asked worried.

"You must understand now that one of their Warriors, Amiboshi of the Seiryuu Seven is no longer alive, she cannot summon Seiryuu," Taiitsukun said making Aika look at her stunned. "Do you understand what that means, Priestess?"

"Yui will have to go. Yui will go to Hokan too to get the Shinzahou relic," Aika said looking down.

"That means that the two of you will become steadfast enemies and I also fear you will have to battle the Seiryuu Seven as well," Taiitsukun said to her.

 _'Yui and I will become steadfast enemies….No matter who gets to the Shinzahou first, I'll have to fight against Yui,'_ Aika thought upset.

"One more thing and you must listen very carefully to what I have to say. The trial you now face will be far more demanding and difficult than what has come before."

~0~

"Man, what's taking Aika so long?" Tamahome asked. He was sitting on the railing, his elbow propped up on one of the small pillars, his cheek resting in his hand.

"So, you said you lived in Jousan City, didn't you? That's just a stone's throw away from here, isn't it?" Nuriko asked Chiriko, standing between the boy and Tamahome.

"Well, I was always busy studying so I never got over here," Chiriko smiled. Kurama was being held in his arms.

"A kid who's always studying, eh? Where were ya when Naruto needed ya?" Kurama muttered.

"Who?" Chiriko asked.

"Oh, right, you don't know him. Naruto is one of Aika's best friends and he was once my host before I was given a real body of my own," Kurama shrugged earning a nod from the boy.

"Hey Tasuki, why don't you quit that boring bandit business and follow this guy's scholarly example, huh?" Nuriko asked Tasuki who was next to Chiriko. Kurama laughed.

"Him? Study and become smart? That'll be the day!" He laughed earning a glare from Tasuki.

"Hmph! Leave me alone! Once this is all over I'm going back to Mount Reikaku and I'll be an even better boss than our last one. After all, that's why I get to keep this fan," Tasuki smirked as he reached for his fan only to grasp nothing. "Hey!" He shouted looking for his fan only to see Tamahome trying to sneak off with it. "Give me that!" He said before the two started fighting for the fan.

"Don't be so stingy! I didn't get anything!"

"Gah! That's because you've got such a lousy attitude!" Tasuki said as they pulled each other's cheeks. Tasuki then bit Tamahome's hand.

"You're stupider than I am!" Tamahome said getting his hand back and pulling Tasuki's cheeks.

"Well, your legs are shorter than mine! So there!"

"Oh yeah?! Wanna bet?!" Tamahome asked before lifting Tasuki's leg and biting it.

"Well, so much for the idea of teamwork," Nuriko sighed. Kurama wacked Tamahome and Tasuki with his tails.

"ENOUGH, YOU IDIOTS! I'M A FOX SO I HAPPEN TO LIKE RAW ME IF YOU CATCH MY DRIFT!" He growled making Tamahome and Tasuki hug each other, spazzing out in fear. They all suddenly heard the door to the temple open and looked up to see Aika walking out.

"Aika, are you finished?" Hotohori asked. Aika gave a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go back to the palace rooms. I think I need to rest a bit," she said to them.

"Oh, all right," Hotohori smiled at her. Kurama jumped into her arms and she held him.

 _'Aika…'_ Tamahome thought as he looked at her.

~0~

Aika was in her bedroom to change and placed her hair clip back in place. She had changed into a dark purple tank top and a black skirt with black knee high boots. Her hair was up in a ponytail.

 _'Tamahome's chamber…why did I decide to come here?'_ Aika thought to herself with a frown. She remembered her talk with Taiitsukun.

 _"Is that clear, Aika?" Taiitsukun had asked._ Aika sighed and suddenly felt someone poke her shoulder she turned to see Tamahome doing a weird face at her. She sweat-dropped.

"Okay, now you're just being weird," she muttered.

"I was trying scare you!" Tamahome pouted.

"I grew up in a world where a monster tried to kill us in a war…I don't scare that easily anymore, Tamahome," Aika pointed out. They walked into his room and had tea.

"A normal girl would have screamed or squeaked," Tamahome muttered.

"Whatever gave you the impression that I'm a normal girl?" Aika raised an eyebrow. Tamahome chuckled a bit and nodded in agreement to that.

"So anyway, uh, what brings you here at this time of the night?" Tamahome asked her.

"Nothing special. I just wanted to come and see you, that's all," Aika said looking at her tea cup.

"Well darn, I was hoping you'd want to spend the night with me," Tamahome joked a bit. Aika took out a kunai.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing! I didn't say anything!" Tamahome sweat-dropped in fear. Aika put her kunai away and silently sipped her tea, thinking to herself. Tamahome smiled a bit as he watched her.

 _"…if you wish to possess Shinzahou. Is that clear, Aika?" Taiitsukun asked._ Aika saw Tamahome staring at her and she blushed slightly.

"What is it? Do I have something on my face?" Aika asked him.

"Oh, no, I was just thinking how great it would be if you'd come to me like this all the time," Tamahome admitted surprising her Tamahome stood up and went over to his dresser. "Aika, I saved some money, you know, from I've managed to earn from here and there and the stipend I get from this place," he said as Aika sipped her tea.

"Yes," Aika replied.

"You see, after all this, I feel like I've grown up a lot and I was thinking of moving out on my own. I might be able to afford to build a house soon. I'd be perfectly happy in a little house to start with. And I kinda want to start a family too and have a son of my own," Tamahome said rubbing his fingers together nervously. Aika played with the hem of her skirt as she listened to him. "So it's just that I thought…I guess what I'm trying to say here is….that I wanna live that life together with you!" He said making Aika's eyes widen. She looked at him as he looked at her.

"T-Tamahome…d-do know what you're talking about here? I mean…"

"Of course I know what I'm talking about, Aika! If we are going to live together, I wanna do everything in the right way and once we leave for the journey north, we won't be back for quite a while. So before we go, I wanna visit my dad and as long as you don't refuse me…I want you to marry me. Please, will you marry me, Aika?" He asked her. Aika stood up quickly.

"I-it's all so sudden, I can't-besides, I'm only sixteen!" Aika said trying to make an excuse.

"Yeah, I know it's the perfect age to get married, I'm the right age also," Tamahome said walking up to her. Aika looked away.

"The right age? I mean, people in my world don't get married until they're at least eighteen," she said nervously.

"I've been thinking about this for a while now and I swear to you, I'll work as hard as I can," Tamahome promised as he placed his hands on her shoulders, her hair shadowing her eyes. "I won't ever let you suffer."

"It's not that…"

"I will protect you and love you for as long as I live. I promise to make you happy, Aika," Tamahome vowed with a tender tone.

 _'Tamahome…'_ Aika thought before squeezing her eyes shut.

 _"Is that clear, Aika?"_ Taiitsukun's question rang through her mind again.

 _'No, don't say it! She said not to so you better not! I'll…I'll tell him what I have to tell him. Tamahome, I'm so sorry,'_ Aika thought sadly as her fists shook. She then put on a fake smile. "I…I'm sorry, Tamahome. I can't. I'm the Priestess of Suzaku and you're one of my guardian Warriors. Us marrying wouldn't be such a good idea."

"What?"

"I mean, think about it. What would happen after we summon Suzaku? I don't….I don't belong here. This isn't my world and my world isn't yours. Once I make my wishes, I'll be sent home and I can't ask you to come with me because you have family here that I know you won't want to leave," Aika said keeping her head down. Tamahome grabbed her wrist and made her turn, but she still avoided his gaze.

"You're not serious. At a time like this, you're not serious, are you? Are you, Aika? Answer me!" Tamahome demanded, hurt clear in his tone. Aika gave a fake smile.

"I'm sorry, but things change. Are we really even in love? It was all so sudden. Come on, no one can fall in love over the time we've had. Especially since we haven't been around each other that much. I mean, what do we know about love? Maybe we should just leave it," she said pulling her wrist away. She started walking to the door. "I had come here to tell you that maybe we should stop this. Goodnight, Tamahome." She then walked out.

"Why? Tell me why, Aika!" Tamahome shouted until he heard the door close. Aika couldn't reply. She didn't trust her voice and began walking away from his room with her head down. She soon stopped and fell to her knees with her face in her hands as she cried, her tears falling to the ground.

 _'It's no use. We can't love each other anymore. Forgive me, Tamahome…forgive me.'_

~0~

Aika laid in her bed the next morning, staring into nothing. She couldn't get Tamahome's words out of her head.

 _"I want to live that life together with you."_

 _'But we can't…we can't!'_ Aika thought upset.

"Kit, what's wrong?" Kurama asked seeing she looked upset.

"I…I just had to do the hardest thing I'd ever thought I'd do…"

~0~

"Well, good morning to you, Aika!" Nuriko smiled before Tasuki yawned his hello. Aika looked over and saw them, holding Kurama in her arms.

"Oh, good morning," Aika greeted.

"Hey, Aika, Tasuki and I were just talking. Why don't we go outta town tonight? They're having the Star Gazing Festival. Huh?" Nuriko asked smiling. Tasuki smiled at the girl he thought of as a sister. "What do you think? Do you think we should go?" He asked her. Aika was about to reply until she saw Tamahome. She put on a fake smile.

"Oh, good morning, Tamahome. I hear there's a festival tonight. Why don't we all go and enjoy ourselves while we're still here in town?" She asked as she walked over and passed him. As soon as she knew he couldn't see, she frowned. _'This is best for us. I have to stop thinking about Tamahome and start concentrating on what's coming up.'_ Kurama had seen her fake smile and frowned.

 _'What is going on between those two? Tamahome didn't even respond to her and Aika's eyes…they're almost dull,'_ he thought to himself. With Tasuki and Nuriko, Tasuki whispered to his purple haired friend.

"Did you see that, Nuriko? How she just blew him off?" He whispered.

"Yeah, I saw it, Tasuki. With my very own eyes," Nuriko replied before they looked at Tamahome. "I can only assume that he said all the wrong things again. Just like he always manages to do," he teased patting Tamahome's shoulder.

"So what'd you do, huh? Come on, you can tell us," Tasuki urged. Tamahome snapped his head up. He soon walked away, leaving a beaten down Nuriko and Tasuki on the ground.

"I-I don't think he likes being teased," Nuriko said.

~0~

"As you can see, Hokan is mountainous country. We can send our delegation through the Genbu gate here, traveling along this route," Hotohori said pointing through the map on his desk, showing Chiriko.

"No, I think we should avoid the pass and cross the border on a straight line. The canals are our best option," Chiriko said to him before Aika made it to the door.

"Aika," Hotohori smiled when he saw her.

"Hello, Hotohori and hello, Chiriko," Aika smiled a bit as she looked at them.

"We were just discussing the Hokan terrain and he and Chichiri both have the same idea of using the canal to travel to the point of entry. We will prepare and outfit my best sea vessel and you can begin your journey tomorrow," Hotohori said to her.

"But Hotohori, aren't you coming with us?" Aika asked as she walked over with Kurama in her arms.

"Do not worry, this time there will be six Warriors along. Besides, you will have Tamahome with you, right?" Hotohori asked. Aika's eyes widened a bit at that fact. "Aika?" Aika gave a fake smile.

"Y-yeah, that's right!" She replied. "Well, see you later!" She said before running out of the room with Kurama in her arms.

"Okay, Kit. What's going on?" Kurama asked. Aika looked at him.

"What are you talking about, Kurama?" She asked him as she now walked

"Don't give me that? I knew the smiles today have been fake. I saw that your eyes were red and puffy this morning. And at the mention of Tamahome's name, you stiffen like you're in trouble. Spill it," Kurama said to her. Aika sighed.

"I…Tamahome proposed…"

"What? That's great!" Kurama smiled.

"But I refused."

"Oh…that's bad."

"Yeah."

"One question….WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?! I thought you loved him!"

"I do okay?! I love him, but I'm….I'm not supposed to anymore," Aika frowned deeply.

"Is this what Taiitsukun talked to you about? Because I know before the ceremony, you would be smiling brightly and jumping into his arms with a 'yes!'" Kurama said to her.

"Yes, it does have to do with what Taiitsukun spoke to me about. She said I have to stay pure and relationship wouldn't be good for this. Things like that….I-I didn't want to hurt him. I wanted so bad to say yes to him, but her words just kept echoing in my head and I…I hurt him, Kurama. That was the last thing I wanted to do and I did it," Aika said feeling tears. Kurama frowned and wiped her tears away with one of his tails.

"Hey, once this is all over then you can marry him then," he said to her.

"I told him it wouldn't work afterwards. I would be going home, Kurama. What kind of future would we have if I was back home and he was here? I didn't tell him what Taiitsukun told me," she said.

"You should have, Aika. Also, we don't know if we might ever really get back. Besides, Taiitsukun should butt out of business she doesn't understand. There's nothing wrong with being engaged," Kurama said to her. Aika thought to herself the rest of the way. They were soon in a different area of the palace.

 _'I really shouldn't ask Hotohori's advice about this,'_ she thought. Kurama had left to go get something to eat. Aika looked over and saw Chichiri fishing at the pond. _'Chichiri.'_

~0~

"Suboshi," Yui said. She had two maids in her room when Suboshi came to see her.

"Lady Yui, about yesterday, um, I'm sorry I was so rude to you and…"

"It's all right, don't worry about it. I'm just glad to see you look a little bit better today," Yui smiled at him. Suboshi blushed.

"Yes, thank you. Anyway, uh, Nakago sent me here to request that you come to the Shrine of Seiryuu right away," Suboshi said, embarrassed about the day before. Yui went with him to the shrine and saw Nakago kneeling by the fire.

"What are you doing, Nakago? I thought you only bowed to the Emperor," Yui said with teasing in her tone. "Or did Seiryuu show up even after our failure?"

"You must look very carefully into the conjured flames," Nakago simply replied before she did so. There were suddenly two glowing lights in the fire.

"Eyes. But do you know what it means?" Yui asked Nakago as she walked up.

"You must have heard of Taiitsukun by now, haven't you? She represents the Yang principle and this particular entity represents the Yin. I have invoked him here on your behalf," Nakago smirked.

"Yui Hongo, Priestess of Seiryuu, if you wish to summon Seiryuu, listen carefully to the course of action I'm about to explain to you," the voice said.

"Summon Seiryuu?"

~0~

Aika walked over and sat down by Chichiri on the rocks while he fished.

"Are there any fish around here?" She asked him.

"Who knows?" Chichiri replied before Aika gave him a look, sweat-dropping. She then looked back out at the beautiful pond.

"You know, I've been wondering for quite a while now about you, Chichiri. Why do you wear that mask around almost all of the time?" Aika asked curious. She saw his look and sweat-dropped. "Uh, I'm sorry! If you don't want to talk about it that's okay! It's just that it lets you smile all the time, doesn't it? I wish I had something like that," she said before looking down. "For a while, I've been forced to cut myself off from the two people I love most, more than anything. But this may turn out to be the best thing for Tamahome. When I learned that Yui was also in love with Tamahome, I thought I could distance myself from him. I thought it would be respectful for me to step aside for them, but then Tamahome was so honest and straightforward about his feelings for me and so was Yui. At first I was confused, I guess and ran away because I didn't want to hurt them, either of them. Pretty lame excuse, huh? It didn't do me any good to hide the truth and I wanted to be honest with them both because I love them, but I guess I was too direct and too honest, wasn't I? Or maybe everything I've done so far has been stupid and wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong and neither did Yui. No one's to blame," Chichiri said making Aika look at him. He then removed his mask. "You just aren't able to choose between your love and your friendship, but whichever one you do choose you'll lose the other and there's nothing you can do about that, ya know," he said before looking at her, revealing his scar. "I had to learn that the hard way too. That's how I got this scar, ya know. It happened when I was eighteen. I was just a kid like Tamahome. I had a fiancée that I loved dearly and the best friend that I loved too. The three of us were very close, we were all friends and very happy, but then one day the man I thought was my best friend stole my fiancée away from me."

"What did you do, Chichiri?" Aika asked curious.

"I completely lost my head. I was so angry and hurt by his betrayal that I didn't realize what I was doing. I know I didn't really wanna do that, it was an accident. In the moment my best friend died, I was crying, hard. And it was in that moment that I realized how much I really loved him. So that's how and when I got the scar, ya know. And because it won't be entirely healed, I will never forget my best friend. I know people will be upset when they see my disfigured face, ya know. So that's why I always wear a smiling face over my own, ya know," Chichiri said placing his mask back on. She placed her and on his.

"What should I do? What should I do, Chichiri? There's no way I can fight Yui like that and I don't think it would solve anything," she said to him.

"There is only thing I can think of to tell you," he said to her.

"Aika!" Nuriko called. Said girl looked over to Nuriko waving. "Aika! Aika-kookookaka!" Aika stood with an annoyed look as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh keep it down, would ya?" She called back.

"I am sure that Yui does love you, ya know," Chichiri said making the raven haired girl look at him. "Even more than you think she does, even if she doesn't realize it herself, she loves you a lot. That's why she has to work so hard to hate you and that's why you'll be able to save her in the end, ya know." Aika smiled at him.

"I understand, Chichiri and I'll think it all over. Thank you for listening to me. It really helped!" She said before running off.

~0~

"They went out into the city, hoping to have a good time at the Star Gazing Festival. The Priestess even forgot some of her troubles and enjoyed the festivities for a while," Naruto read.

~0~

Aika smiled as she looked around. She was wearing a pale red Chinese dress with a pink shirt underneath and a light purple sash. Her hair was curled up into a bun, her bangs framing her face.

"I've never been out in the city at night before. Alright! Tonight let's have as much fun as we can!" Aika smiled at Nuriko and Tasuki while she held Kurama in her arms. She saw their smiles and for once that day, felt at peace.

 **Kida: T-that's it...*Tears up***

 **Kido: *Groans* Please don't cry!**

 **Kida: I-I'm so sad...and happy...at the same time...**

 **Kida: Please stop the water works!**

 **Kida: I-I hope you all enjoyed the story. There will be a sequel, I promise. Please favorite and comment and...WAHHHHHH! *Anime cries***


	28. Sequel!

Look for the next story: Fire Wing of Suzaku! I hope you enjoy!


End file.
